Draft recommendations on water quality and quantity in the Hinds catchment are due to be produced by October.
Drains in the catchment have some of the highest nitrate concentrations for surface water in New Zealand. The zone stretched from within a few hundred metres of the Ashburton River to the Rangitata River and from the foothills to the sea.
Several scenarios were put forward for discussion at public meetings in Hinds which were organised by the Ashburton Water Zone Committee.
Zone chairman Matthew Hall said the committee had to collate the views of the local community and had put forward the scenarios ranging from the baseline status quo, a development scenario and an environmental scenario. There was also an on-farm scenario which featured good farm management practices and aquifer recharge.
''If I was to summarise the baseline meeting, the community was telling us the status quo was not acceptable,'' Mr Hall said.
Under the development scenario, water had been allocated for 30,000ha of new irrigation through the Barrhill Chertsey Irrigation scheme and the Rangitata Diversion Race. The consents might require nutrient water quality conditions under the proposed Land and Water Regional Plan.
''Under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy we are setting a path for the next 30 years and there would be incremental steps to get there, so that development is not going to happen in the next year,'' Mr Hall said.
If 90% of that irrigated land was in dairying or dairying support, it would definitely have an impact on the environment, he added.
The environmental scenario would set targets for the amount of water in the catchment and would require water of sufficient quality for fish life.
''It didn't sit well with the farming community.''
Mr Hall predicted the committee would steer a path in the middle. He acknowledged good management on farms would be essential.
''Farmers will have to set their sights on managing the inputs. There could also be other mitigation measures required at various levels. For example, a mitigation one level requirement or a mitigation two level.''
Advances in irrigation methods and research into the application of water to ensure nitrates were absorbed by plants was ongoing.
''Another mitigation method was the managed aquifer recharge,'' Mr Hall said.
''There is talk about a pilot for this but it is not decided yet.
''It's up to the farm leaders to tell us what they can do.''
Industry also would play a huge part in the process, he said.
A meeting of industry groups was to be held today.
Mr Hall believed there was a lot which could be done to get the water already available from ground and surface water sources further.
''By mixing and matching ground and surface water it could go a long way further, particularly with storage.''
The zone committee will present its draft decisions around quality and quantity of water at a public meeting in October.
- by Maureen Bishop