Speaking to a public forum submission at the Waitaki District Council monthly meeting, society spokesman Dugald MacTavish lambasted proposals put forward recently by the Lower Waitaki Zone Committee's Waitaki Allocation Plan working group to reduce the minimum 150cumec flow.
That is the minimum flow allowable under the Lower Waitaki South Canterbury Coastal Zone Implementation Programme.
Mr MacTavish said the original plan, which was created in 2005 and is now an Environment Canterbury (ECan) regional plan, was still workable.
"The development of the plan warranted a year-long process and hundreds of public submissions and should not be disregarded easily."
He said many people had "fought tooth and nail" to get what they regarded as a good minimum flow, and added that the current regime was adequate.
The working party proposals, which included suggestions to ring-fence irrigators below the minimum flow of 150cumecs and cap total take from the river at 80cumecs, were not necessary as the river was rarely low enough to result in a shortfall, he said"Based on ECan and Meridian flow data for the lower Waitaki, LWRMS assert that this is not justified."
After hearing Mr MacTavish's concerns, the council still agreed to support the zonal committee's proposals.
The zonal committee working party included representatives from irrigators and power companies. Cr Jim Hopkins said the zonal committee had wide-ranging support of "all parties" involved in water allocation issues.
"In my judgement, a lot of people have been involved in an innovative process. The opinions represented within the committee span a wide range a views.
"The principle we have created along the way has given this position, which has been arrived at with the support of all parties."
However, although Cr Hopkins said the zonal committee's suggestions had been the result of "thorough discussions", he noted that a public consultation process would still allow everyone to have their say before a final decision was made.
Cr Helen Stead added that there was "still a long way to go" before water allocations on the Waitaki River could be "carved up".
"So far we have only heard two potential views."
Cr Hugh Perkins agreed, and said it was "premature" to adopt any suggestions.
