The Otago Regional Council has decided it will appeal to the Conservation and Environment Ministers to amend the water conservation order on the Kawarau River to allow its planned flood-protection works to go ahead.
Consent for the training line at the confluence of the Shotover and Kawarau rivers was turned down by a panel of independent commissioners last month on the basis they were constrained by the provisions of the Water Conservation (Kawarau) Order (1997).
At a full council meeting this week, councillors considered a report outlining the possible actions open to it, including walking away from the proposed flood-protection works.
However, councillors decided instead to back chief executive Graeme Martin's recommendations to lodge an appeal with the ministers to vary the order to allow for flood-mitigation works, and to appeal the decision on the application in the Environment Court.
The council will invite the Queenstown Lakes District Council to take part in the action.
Cr Stephen Woodhead said the consent application was important to the Queenstown community because flooding had been a problem in the area.
