Landmark water consent granted

20 FEBRUARY 2009

For Immediate Release

Hamilton City Council has been successfully granted a landmark consent which will renew the city’s water take for the next 35 years.

The consent, which allows Council to draw 146 million litres of water a day from the Waikato River for municipal water supply, is the first consent to be processed under Environment Waikato’s new water allocation guidelines (Regional Policy Variation 6).

Hamilton City Council treatment plants manager Tim Harty says, “The consent is designed to cater for Hamilton’s future growth and consent conditions mean the water take will be well managed.

“Council is committed to the ongoing and proactive management of water as a precious resource and the city’s development of a 'stepped-take' approach reflects this. Within the allocation Hamilton City Council has been granted, if at any time the water resource not being utilised by the city can be allocated to other users, at least in the short term."

“The approach is the first of its kind and it is designed specifically within the aims of Regional Policy Variation 6 - to allow the whole region to make the most of that flexibility and to use and conserve water most effectively.”

Mr Harty says positive co-operation has and will continue to be key to successful management and protection of the Waikato River.

“Council acknowledges the important role Tainui have as kaitiaki of the river. We're committed to proactively working with them, Environment Waikato and major water users to continue the positive work already done.”

ENDS

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