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.
They were upset earlier this year at media reports from the
Otago Regional Council about alleged breaches of resource
consent conditions.
It was alleged they failed to provide data about water
volumes taken, and breached low-flow cut-offs.
On Wednesday, they met at the Maheno Tavern with regional
council staff and representatives from environmental
information technology company Scottech, which was contracted
by farmers to provide the council with water-use data.
North Otago Federated Farmers chairman Ross Ewing, also a
farmer with irrigation in the catchment, said yesterday
farmers were very annoyed with the attitude of the council,
particularly when they were unaware of problems.
That came to a head when the council sent out a letter to all
farmers, threatening the possibility of prosecution because
of alleged breaches.
"That was the first we had heard about the problems," he
said.
In the past, farmers through a water users' committee had
good communication, and a good relationship, with council
staff.
In fact, the regional council was using the Kakanui structure
for water use as an example of what could be introduced in
other areas of the region.
Mr Ewing said the latest tension arose because of a lack of
communication by the council.
Farmers, through their resource consents, were responsible
for providing water use data to the regional council.
That was done, in agreement with the council, through
Scottech.
However, unknown to farmers, Scottech had updated its
technology and the information was being sent in a different
format which the regional council could not read.
The council and Scottech, after Wednesday's meeting, were
working to resolve that.
Mr Ewing said farmers had also pointed out there had been
difficulties with gauge readings on the river from which the
committee told farmers to reduce or cut off water takes.
The problem with getting an accurate instantaneous reading
was being looked at by the council.
"The message to the council was to tell us if there were
problems. If we don't know, we can't do anything about it,"
Mr Ewing said.
david.bruce@odt.co.nz
Bookmark/Search this post with:
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.