Water use tension worse

Increasing tensions between water users is going to become more common as land use changes, the Otago Regional Council is warning.

The council has been taking part in several meetings with a small group of water users on the upper Taieri where the property developments of one landowner have generated uncertainty of future water access to downstream takes.

At last week's full council meeting, chief executive Graeme Martin said these circumstances were becoming more frequent and highlighted the need for the "futures" orientated water plan changes the council was promoting.

"We're increasingly seeing tensions and difficulties arise as users change the pattern of how they use water, which alters the availability of water to other parties."

The council was seeing an increasing number of these situations and "I expect more and more", he said.

"It can be very tense. There are individual livelihoods at stake."

It highlighted the council's preference for seeing clusters of water users self managing the supply: "Groups have a real opportunity to try and work together," Mr Martin said.

It was hoped the Taieri situation would be resolved that way.