Farmer cleared The Environment Court has cancelled an interim enforcement order which required Hawea Flat farmer Dougal Innes to stop cultivating his land by the Clutha River. PAGE 2
Minister retires Diane Gilliam-Weeks has been working full-time for 45 years, apart from nine months when her daughter was born, so she’s looking forward to a change of pace when she retires after Easter. PAGE 3
THUR 03.04.14 - WED 09.04.14
WANAKA’S INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER
inside:
Regional final PAGE 4
Kayak champs
Wanaka Wastebusters’ Jeromy Bisson and Sue Coutts are pictured with Billy Matheson (centre, representing Auckland Council) during a tour of the facility yesterday. Story page 3.
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PHOTO: WANAKA.TV
Lindis: less irrigation, more water Jessica Maddock Wanaka Sun
Double gold PAGE 16
Changes to the amount of water which can be taken from the Lindis River for irrigation were proposed at a meeting this week. The Otago Regional Council proposed a minimum flow of 450 litres per second, to the approximately 50 farmers, businesspeople and environmentalists who attended the meeting at Tarras. The council’s chief executive, Peter Bodeker, said at present ten to 15km stretches of the river dried up in summer and fish died when the small pools of water warmed in the sun. The council had monitored the river for 30 years, including the amount of water taken from it and the seasonal variations. It had also consulted the
community, farmers and recreational users. A minimum flow of 450 litres per second would ensure there was water in the river to the bridge on State Highway 8 year-round and that the pools were linked, enabling fish to swim upstream to deeper, cooler water. “It won’t be a raging torrent, but it will be water in a riverbed. “It’s a real balancing act, matching commercial needs as well as recreational and environmental needs, which have a commercial aspect too.” At present there were “mining privileges” on the Lindis River, meaning water take permits given to goldminers had transferred to the landowners when goldmining ceased and were now used for irrigation.
Those permits would expire in 2021 and landowners would have to apply to take water from the river, on which a minimum flow would be imposed. This meant that if the river flow reached the minimum level allowed, restrictions would be placed on the amount of water which could be taken for irrigation. Peter Bodeker said signalling the minimum flow well in advance gave landowners time to consider how they would manage with less water, by using, for example, more efficient irrigation methods, such as sprayers instead of flooding, or looking for alternative sources, or creating storage. The four local aquifers were also discussed, with the council informing meeting attendees three of them were
largely allocated and there was only a small amount of water available in the fourth. Tarras farmer Peter Jolly said there was confusion about the implications of the proposed minimum flow, due to conflicting reports. One report said a minimum flow of 450 litres per second would result in about 60 days per irrigating season on which landowners would not be able to irrigate. This would have “horrendous implications,” he said. “It would probably be in January, February and March, when it’s most needed.” However, another report suggested that, if the river level dropped below Story continues page 2...