Lower Waitaki farmers will get answers at a meeting next week about Environment Canterbury's plans to introduce compulsory water metering during the next five years.
The Lower Waitaki River Management Society is holding its annual meeting on Wednesday night and one of its speakers will be Environment Canterbury water metering manager John Young, who will explain the implications for local farmers, both in terms of cost and farm management.
Society chairman Bill Penno said this would be the first time farmers had the chance to learn more about the metering and to ask questions.
"Water is a very precious resource and it is important that as a community and as individual farmers we do our best to utilise it efficiently and conserve it for future generations," Mr Penno said.
The introduction of metering had implications for resource consent holders and also involved installing approved equipment with the help of service providers, all key factors of which farmers need to be aware.
The other guest speaker at the annual meeting will be Rachel McClellan, a fauna ecologist of Christchurch, who will discuss threatened river-nesting birds and steps to stop their decline.
The society had a busy year, which included being involved in plans to enhance the Duntroon wetlands as a visitor attraction, restoring the boat launch ramps on the south side of the river beside State Highway 1 and opposing a new power scheme on the lower river.
The appeal against the Meridian Energy Ltd north bank tunnel concept scheme in the Environment Court at the end of June and early July prompted the society to launch an appeal for extra funds to meet costs.
It needed $20,000 "in a matter of weeks" and donations came from all sectors of the community.
"As a result, we were able to air our deepest concerns for the river in a pretty professional way and also question Meridian's assumptions about the need and benefit of the scheme," he said.
The society is awaiting a decision from the court on its appeal.
