Protecting the rights of existing water users is one of the common themes from Central Otago groups and individuals who have made submissions on the Otago Regional Council's regional water plan changes.
Hearings were held in Alexandra and Cromwell on Monday and yesterday and continue in Dunedin today so submitters' views can be heard on changes to the way water is allocated in the region.
Ten Central Otago-based submitters aired their views earlier this week before the hearing committee, which comprised regional councillors Duncan Butcher, David Shepherd and council chairman Stephen Cairns.
Criffel Irrigation Scheme member Jeremy Bell said when it was established in the mid-1960s, Criffel was the largest private irrigation scheme in Central Otago. It had adopted a co-operative approach with other water users but sought an assurance that existing arrangements would be respected in the future.
The regional council needed to ensure that the administrators of the new rules would provide accurate information, he said.
"I liken it to a rugby game: the rugby union produces the rules but the game can turn into a mess if the referee, who knows the rules, is inconsistent," Mr Bell said.
Robin Dicey said in many cases irrigators had invested heavily in getting races from the hills into working condition. There was no certainty under the proposed new allocation rules that someone could protect the asset they had built up over the years.
The Central Otago District Council's business development manager Jonathan Gadd said the regional council had to give details of how it would support community groups managing water schemes.
Power company Pioneer Generation wanted the regional water plan changes to distinguish between consumptive uses of water and non-consumptive uses.
Counsel for Pioneer, Darryl Fletcher, said several of Pioneer's hydro-electric power schemes took advantage of water from historic mining permits and the company had also entered into water-sharing agreement with other water users in co-operative schemes.
"Pioneer considers hydro electricity to be a natural and physical resource of regional and national importance," Mr Fletcher said.
He submitted the water plan change should specifically recognise hydro-electric energy.
