Worry over Waipahi stock water

The Pomahaka River flows are in dispute. Photo from the ODT files.
The Pomahaka River flows are in dispute. Photo from the ODT files.
The supply of stock water to farms in the Waipahi area could be severely restricted in dry years if the rural stock water scheme is not included in proposed regulations concerning minimum flows in the Pomahaka catchment, the Clutha District Council says.

A staff report on the Otago Regional Council's proposed plan change 3B (Pomahaka Catchment minimum flow) suggested no water could be taken by the Waipahi supply for 16.5 days a year on average, council water services engineer Peter Ross told a hearing in Dunedin yesterday.

''This will have a disastrous impact on stock if alternatives are not available, an impact made worse in the driest year, when water could not be taken for 65 days over the summer period.''

A hearing panel of Crs Gretchen Robertson (chairwoman), Sam Neill and Gary Kelliher heard five submissions on the proposed plan change which proposes to establish minimum flows, allocation limits and monitoring sites for the Pomahaka River.

Mr Ross said the council wanted the same protection for the Waipahi rural stock water supply as other community water schemes got under the proposed plan change.

The scheme supplies water from the Waipahi River, a tributary of the Pomahaka, for stock and farming to 46 properties.

While it did not supply drinking water for humans, the scheme was a community one under the terms of the plan.

''It should be exempt from the requirement to cease taking when the minimum flow is reached, as are the other council supplies, three of which are in the Pomahaka catchment.''

The regional council's officer's report recommended the scheme not be included as it was beyond the scope of the plan change.

Cr Robertson said the scheme should be covered under the Resource Management Act provisions for human and stock water.

Department of Conservation senior ranger Peter Ravenscroft said the river was home to the longfin eel (at risk and declining), lamprey (nationally vulnerable) and Pomahaka galaxias (nationally endangered).

Due to the Clutha River dams, 65% of longfin eel habitat had been removed in the Clutha catchment so the Pomahaka was significantly important to supporting the overall health of the population, he said.

''In my opinion the recommended minimum flow of 3.6cumecs for the Pomahaka River over the summer season will provide adequate habitat protection for all fish species.''

Fish and Game Otago environmental officer Peter Wilson said despite calling for a slightly higher summer minimum flow of 3.8cumecs to protect the significant trout fishery, it now believed 3.6cumecs along with the other measures in the plan would be adequate.

Otago fisherman Daniel Rietveld said the minimum flow was ''all right'' but would be even better if slightly raised as, during low summer flows, it was often hard to find fish because the river heated up when it was running shallow.

''A higher limit for the river would be better.''

KTKO planner Tim Vial, representing the runangas of Otakou, Waikoau and Hokonui, said the plan change struck an appropriate balance between providing for economic wellbeing and sustaining ecosystems.

''In my opinion the proposed minimum flow and primary allocation limit provides for habitats and wider needs of mahika kai (food gathering) and taoka (treasured) species in the Pomahaka catchment.''

Federated Farmers South Island regional policy manager Kim Reilly said its support for the minimum flows was dependent on the workability and reasonableness of the minimum flows and allocation limits.

Although regionally significant, trout fisheries needed ''due consideration'', as did the families and businesses reliant on water takes within the catchment.

rebecca.fox@odt.co.nz

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