Big surge in submissions

Proposed changes to a Waitaki river water allocation plan, which include lowering the minimum flow, have attracted 451 submissions, about a third of those received when it was originally drawn up almost a decade ago.

Environment Canterbury (ECan) is proposing plan change three to the Waitaki catchment water allocation regional plan, which was prepared by a five-member, Government-appointed board after considering 1200 submissions during 122 hours of hearings spread over seven weeks in Oamaru and Omarama in 2005.

The changes have resulted in 451 submissions from groups and individuals, including many involved in the original process.

They include major players in the catchment, such as Meridian Energy and Genesis Energy, Ngai Tahu and its runanga, along with individuals and groups involved in the original plan process.

All but one came in the last week before the deadline of August 22.

That followed a campaign in the last week by the Lower Waitaki River Management Society, which had been involved in debates over the future of the river since 2004, encouraging people to submit.

The society provided ''a five-minute'' submission form on its website for people to fill in.

Submissions are still being analysed by ECan to determine how many are for, against and neutral about the change.

At this stage, no date has been set to hear submissions.

Nor has it been decided who will sit on a panel but the venue is likely to be Oamaru.

The 2005 plan provided for a minimum flow of 150cumecs but also for Meridian Energy to release from the Waitaki dam extra flows of 10cumecs to 80cumecs, depending on the time of year.

However, those extra flows could not be introduced until Meridian's resource consents for the Waitaki dam came up for renewal in 2025.

Meridian's consent allowed flows less than those specified in the plan.

Now Meridian has agreed, as part of the plan change, to introduce that earlier if other changes are made to the plan.

The proposal is to lower the minimum flow from 150cumecs to 102cumecs for periods over summer.

The position of resource consents to use water, approved before the plan was prepared, will be clarified.

These existing consents have minimum flows, when water cannot be taken, ranging from none to 130 cumecs.

The plan change will bring them all up to 102cumecs or the flow specified on the consent, whichever is higher.

The plan change also sets aside water for projects such as restoring flows of the Wainono Lagoon (east of Waimate) to enhance mahinga kai (traditional food sources) using water delivered through irrigation schemes.

david.bruce@odt.co.nz

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