Plans are being developed to advance flood protection work on
the Water of Leith between Cumberland St North and Dundas St,
in Dunedin, with the hope of doing the work in the summer.
Otago Regional councillors yesterday voted to consult the
public over a possible merger between Port Otago and
Lyttelton Port, despite deeming such a move to be
insignificant.
Otago Regional Council chairman Stephen Cairns has attempted
to head off critics of the council's proposed nil general
rate increase by saying it had not "dropped off anything" to
get such a good result.
A new tougher enforcement stance should give consent holders
who fail to meet basic requirements a "little prod" to do
better, Otago Regional Council deputy chairman Stephen
Woodhead says.
A Waiareka Valley dairy farm company, one of its directors
and the farm manager have been fined a total of $48,100 for
illegally discharging dairy effluent and applying too much
irrigation water.
It will be 2011-12 at the earliest before a rates
classification review for flood and drainage works on the
Taieri could be completed, Otago Regional Council corporate
services director Wayne Scott said.
Farmers using water from the Kakanui catchment for irrigation
hope they have resolved their differences with the Otago
Regional Council and that communication will improve.
Water users across Otago have been warned to adhere closely
to their resource consent conditions to ensure river levels,
which have again dwindled to low levels, do not drop any
further.
