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Rangitata Sth Irrigation Scheme consents granted

February 3, 2009

MEDIA STATEMENT

Rangitata South Irrigation Scheme consents granted

Rangitata South Irrigation Ltd has been granted consents for a water storage irrigation scheme for the land between the Rangitata and Orari Rivers, South Canterbury. The scheme proposes to provide irrigation water and storage ponds on privately-owned land, to a 7,500 hectare command area, with a 35-year term for the scheme and ten years allowed to build it.

Hearing commissioners Dr Brent Cowie (chair) and Bob Nixon heard the water-related applications to Environment Canterbury and the infrastructure-related applications to Timaru District Council in October and November last year. The decision, released January 30, has a 15 working day appeal period.

The commissioners noted that the applicant had “cut its cloth to suit” and as a result of this, the final scheme has not attracted any particularly strong opposition.

“Institutional parties (such as Fish and Game) generally accepted that the flow management regime under the National Water Conservation Order to a large extent addressed matters pertaining to the Rangitata River, such as in-stream values, river ecology, terrestrial ecology and recreation. This contrasts with the debate over the adequacy or otherwise of the regime for abstraction from the Waimakariri River, as expressed in submissions relating to the Central Plains Water scheme.”

The commissioners noted that the Conservation Order gave effect to the relevant provisions of ECan’s Regional Policy Statement and the proposed Natural Resources Regional Plan, protecting the river’s outstanding values and characteristics.

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The scheme will take water from upstream of the Arundel Bridge mostly when flows are greater than 110 cubic metres per second, store it in ponds covering 280 hectares to a maximum volume of 16.5 million cubic metres, then distribute it via existing and new stockwater races to the scheme’s 30 shareholders. Farmers will also have to construct on-farm storage of 250 cubic metres per hectare, allowing up to 3 million cubic metres to be stored on farms.

“Although much of the land in the command area already has at least some irrigation from groundwater supplies, groundwater yields are not sufficient to provide reliable supply, particularly further away from the coast… the purpose of the scheme is to “drought-proof” the command area, over 60% of which has already been converted to dairying,” commissioners said.

There had been significant community input over several years to reach a proposal which can deliver on multiple community outcomes and meet environmental flow requirements, noted ECan chief executive Dr Bryan Jenkins. “This process of consultation and willingness of the applicant to take on board community concerns shows that people can work together to find environmentally and economically acceptable solutions.”

ENDS

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