August 22, 2006

Ngai Tahu Properties Ltd granted priority to reliable Waimakariri River water

The Environment Court has released its decision on Ngai Tahu Properties Ltd’s (NTPL) application for a declaration on whether it or Central Plains Water Trust has priority to the remaining A allocation block water from the Waimakariri River.

“The effect of the Court’s determination is that when a water take application is made, it does not become notifiable until other applications required to better understand the nature of the proposal are made. The first party to have made a notifable application on that basis was NTPL and therefore the Court has decided that NTPL has priority to the remaining A allocation block water,” said ECan director regulation Dr Mike Freeman.

In July, NTPL was granted three consents to take water for irrigation from the Waimakariri River, to develop former forestry land at Eyrewell, North Canterbury.

NTPL applied for almost four cumecs (cubic metres per second) of Waimakariri River water, to be comprised of up to 2.7 cumecs of the more reliable A allocation block water
and the less reliable B allocation water. This was granted by Environment Canterbury with provisos as to the outcome of the Environment Court declaration on priority.

All parties have 15 working days to appeal the declaration.

ENDS

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