A request from Contact Energy for restrictions to be put on future irrigation takes from the Cromwell aquifer has been opposed by other water users.
The request was put during the Otago Regional Council proposed plan change 4C - groundwater management: Cromwell Terrace aquifer hearing in Dunedin this week.
The plan change proposed to increase the amount of water available from the aquifer to 4 million cu m a year.
The hearing committee of Crs Bryan Scott (chairman), Louise Croot and Sam Neill heard submissions from three parties, although only one in person.
Contact Energy environmental adviser Daniel Druce said Contact wanted the plan change to include restrictions on new takes from the aquifer for irrigation in the non-irrigation season and when catchment inflows were low.
Such restrictions would mirror standard consent conditions; between July 1994 and April 2013 such restrictions occurred 22 times, all during August.
''Such a restriction will ensure that water is directed to its most efficient end use and ensure that valuable water for electricity generation is not being diverted to refilling an aquifer to facilitate further irrigation .. .''
If the council did not adopt the approach, it would continue the ''inefficiency'' of having Contact involved in consent applications, he said.
Horticulture New Zealand natural resources and environment manager Chris Keenan said in his written submission it supported the plan change as it provided greater certainty for water users but did not support Contact Energy's request for new restrictions as it believed the hydraulic connection issue should be considered as part of a resource consent application.
''It would require significant change to the plan to make linkages as sought by Contact.''
Federated Farmers regional policy manager South Island Kim Reilly, in a written submission, said while the organisation sympathised with Contact, it did not believe its request was consistent with the plan.
''We do not believe it is appropriate to impose resource consent level conditions with the plan itself.''
The ORC staff report also recommended Contact's request be turned down on the basis the issue could be more effectively dealt with through the resource consent decision-making process.
