An application for replacement and new water consents for irrigators in the Kyeburn area is the most significant so far to be considered by the Otago Regional Council, one of the submitters on the application says.
The application from shareholder farmers in Kyeburn Catchment Ltd (KCL) seeks to replace 34 existing water and discharge permits with new resource consents.
A hearing for the application will be held in Dunedin from June 21-23.The consents are part of the estimated 470 historic water permits in Otago that expire in 2021 and need replacing with new consents.
Many of the old permits, as is the case in the Kyeburn area, were originally issued as mining privileges.
A regional council spokesman said about 70 applications had been dealt with so far, some of which were surrendered because they were no longer required.
Otago Fish and Game Council chief executive Niall Watson said the KCL application was the most significant to come before the regional council so far, because of its scope.
Fish and Game, the Department of Conservation and Kai Tahu have all made submissions on the application, asking for various conditions to be imposed to address issues including residual flows, management of galaxias species and cultural values. Fish and Game has also asked for the application to be publicly notified and put on hold to allow further information to be sought.
The combined total of all existing KCL takes is 52,930,056 cubic metres a day, but the proposed maximum annual volume for the new consents is only 21,547,908 cubic metres a year.
The council report says the land used in the catchments is mainly dryland farming and the annual rainfall in the lower catchment is only 400mm. Stream flow was variable and the Kyeburn irrigators had adapted their irrigation systems accordingly. KCL’s application said being able to abstract water at a high flow for short periods of time was crucial to the ongoing operation of irrigation, and it was also vital to be able to take water year round.
Most of the farms either already have or are installing modern spray technology such as low-rate systems and centre pivots.
The Kye Burn and Swin Burn catchments are home to six freshwater fish species: two introduced, brown trout and brook char; and four indigenous fish species, including the nationally endangered Central Otago roundhead galaxias.
KCL’s application contains "individual farmer stories" which it says capture the "innovative and progressive ways the Kyeburn irrigators are able to harness the benefits of the often insecure, yet crucial, water supply".
"The management and development of the irrigation water and systems has been a continually evolving process. Over the decades Kyeburn irrigators have invested in infrastructure, dams, new application methods, stock water systems and fencing material to continually improve their irrigation efficiency, optimise feed consumption and modernise their business practices."
As well, KCL had established a low-flow sharing regime for irrigation water abstraction from the main stem Kye Burn and Taieri River during times of low flow, the application said.
Becoming a water management group was a logical choice for the irrigators, and it made sense to use local knowledge to manage the river for the whole community, the application said.
KCL will be responsible for the administration of any permit conditions imposed by the regional council.
