A power struggle has emerged between Transpower and the North Otago Irrigation Company over an electricity transmission line feeding the irrigation scheme's pumps at Black Point, between Georgetown and Duntroon.
The irrigation company wants control over the land and air space the transmission line occupies, but Transpower, which owns the line and has agreements with the landowners, opposes that.
The disagreement has arisen through a designation required by the North Otago Irrigation Company (NOIC), as a requiring authority, from the Waitaki and Waimate District Councils, over land which contained the scheme's infrastructure used to deliver water to about 10,000ha on the North Otago downlands and the Waiareka Valley.
Yesterday, independent commissioner David McMahon heard arguments from NOIC in favour of the designation, considered 12 submissions supporting it, and an objection from Transpower which opposed its covering the transmission line land corridor.
The 110kV transmission line, commissioned in January 2006, delivers electricity from the Waitaki dam-Glenavy line on the north side of the river, across to the south side and then to a substation which feeds it to the NOIC pumphouse next to State Highway 83.
It goes over the land under easement and licence agreements between Transpower and the landowners.
NOIC counsel George Berry said the electricity supply was vital to the scheme and the "huge benefits" it brought to farmers and North Otago's economy, without which the scheme could not operate.
"It is absolutely fundamental to the scheme," he said.
The company was not seeking a designation over the actual transmission lines, but over the land on which they sat.
There was no intention to restrict Transpower's access to the land and its transmission line, and Mr Berry said NOIC was concerned Transpower may not always own and operate the transmission line, and the easements may not be transferred to NOIC if it no longer owned the line.
Transpower environmental adviser Brian Warburton said Transpower opposed the designation request and wanted the corridor withdrawn from the designation.
NOIC did not own the transmission line and had no authority to use or operate it so had no legal authority to ask for it to be designated.
NOIC had had discussions with Transpower in an attempt to resolve the disagreement, but Transpower's stance remained.
Mr McMahon adjourned the hearing, in part to see if NOIC and Transpower could resolve their differences, but also to prepare further conditions covering issues he raised and for Mr Berry's right of reply by August 31.
