Fish & Game has asked the regional council to oppose the development of a Local Bill to set a minimum flow for the Manuherikia River and secure land and easements for Falls Dam. In a letter to Otago Regional Council chairperson Hilary Calvert, Otago Fish & Game Council acting chief executive Jamie Ward said Fish & Game had been involved over 50 years in “countless” community groups and feedback processes around the protection and improvement fo the river. The Central Otago District Council agreed in May to develop a Local Bill to support future water management in the district. The Local Bill would define a minimum flow rate for the Manuherikia River – the level below which water users must stop taking from the river. This would in turn allow decisions to be made on the remediation or rebuild of Falls Dam, which was nearing the end of its life, the council said at the time. Mr Ward said it was Otago Fish & Game’s view that processes that “genuinely” involved the community were more likely to lead to long-lasting solutions for the catchment. However, setting the minimum flow through legislation did the opposite, he said in the letter dated June 12. It replaced a community-led process, supported by independent expert advice, with a political decision. This reduced meaningful public input and increased the risk that decisions would be based on politics rather than the evidence. “A non-participatory process will be seen by many as political opportunism, breeding yet more conflict.” The proposal had several other major flaws. It set a minimum flow without an allocation limit, leaving future water security uncertain, shifted complex technical decisions from experts to politicians, and added unnecessary complexity to the resource management system, undermining the government's goals of simplifying freshwater management. He acknowledged safety concerns about Falls Dam, but said those were known when the dam was handed over to private interests so its maintenance and replacement was a matter for private enterprise. “Progressing the Local Bill proposal will ultimately fail to provide investment certainty, increase conflict in the community and create complexity for future planning and resource management legislation.” Fish & Game urged the regional council to oppose the development of the Bill and "work with the whole community to find an enduring resolution". The regional council will consider the letter at its July 29 meeting. A CODC spokeswoman said it had no comment as the letter was addressed to the regional council. It was still working on the draft Bill. — Allied Media
