Bay of Plenty growers oppose proposed geothermal water regulations

Water from the Tauranga Geothermal System is used for irrigation and frost protection by orchardists and vegetable growers. Photo / Debbie Griffiths

Fruit and vegetable growers in Bay of Plenty don’t want to be hit with more regulations on their geothermal water use.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council released drafts, open to public comment, on a Tauranga Geothermal System Management Plan and a region-wide geothermal plan change.

While supporting efficient use of the resource, Horticulture New Zealand says growers already face “high levels” of compliance and monitoring, and this would be added to in the council’s proposed management plan for the Tauranga geothermal system.

Water from the system, which extends more than 60km from Katikati-Waihī Beach in the northwest to Te Puke-Maketū in the east, is used for irrigation and frost protection by orchardists and vegetable growers.

“The council needs to be mindful of the compliance burden in cost, time and mental faculties they are requiring of users,” Horticulture NZ said in a submission on the draft plan.

“Growers want to be efficient and are compared to other water users. If there was clear guidance and criteria about what counts as efficiency, that might be appropriate.

“These requirements should not necessitate thousands of dollars of consultant time to achieve.”

Horticulture New Zealand said it was essential that geothermal groundwater continue to be used for non-geothermal purposes within sustainable groundwater allocation limits.

“Irrigation and frost protection provide significant economic benefits to the Bay of Plenty region, supporting the $2.878 billion kiwifruit export industry and $37 million avocado export industry.”

The Horticulture New Zealand submission was supported by NZ Avocado, NZ Kiwifruit Growers Inc, Tomatoes NZ and Vegetables NZ Inc.

Other feedback received on the regional council draft came from Ngāti Whakaue ki Maketu, Forest & Bird (Eastern Bay of Plenty branch), GeoExchange, Ngā Pōtiki and Waikato Regional Council.

Ngāti Whakaue called for a process that was “more integrated” with iwi.

“It is offensive that we’re being treated as just another stakeholder,” the submission said. “Ngāti Whakaue has customary ownership over a network of geothermal resources which are located under Maketu.

“Ngāti Whakaue has not at any time given our control of the resources to the Crown and/or local authorities.”

Pāpāmoa-based Ngā Pōtiki called for greater engagement and said cultural wellbeing should also be “explicitly recognised” alongside social and economic wellbeing in the regional council plan.

The submission did not support the use of geothermal groundwater for non-geothermal purposes, calling it a “waste of heat and energy”.

Irrigation and frost protection for avocados is one use of geothermal water. Photo / Alan Gibson

GeoExchange, which provides design and advisory services on geothermal heating systems, said while using geothermal water for irrigation only was “a waste of the heat resource”, it appreciated other values such as using highly productive land for food production.

“We recognise it is challenging for [the] council to juggle competing values.”

Forest & Bird said more information was needed to determine how existing takes of geothermal water for non-geothermal uses such as irrigation could be replaced with water from other sources.

Considering the matter, the regional council’s Strategy and Policy Committee felt it unlikely that the feedback “captures the extent of interest” from the community and consent-holders, and in particular iwi, hapū and ahu whenua trusts.

The council has engaged Bay of Plenty Māori economic development agency Toi Kai Rawa to identify values, opportunities and constraints to use by Māori of low-temperature geothermal water in the Tauranga system.

The council committee said further work was also needed to clarify operational matters such as preferred options for the management of discharges, metering requirements for geothermal takes, and efficiency measures.

Further technical and engagement work would also be undertaken by regional council staff before an updated draft Tauranga Geothermal System Management Plan would be presented to the committee for adoption, likely to be later this year or early next year.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council general manager strategy and science Namouta Poutasi. Photo/ Supplied

Namouta Poutasi, council general manager strategy and science, said the System Management Plan will have “no direct effects” on existing geothermal or freshwater consents in the Tauranga geothermal system.

“Council have decided not to progress the region-wide geothermal plan change at this point in time but will continue to work on completing the Tauranga Geothermal System Management Plan.

“This will provide operational guidance to help ensure a sustainable and reliable heat and water source, something that will be beneficial for growers who rely on these resources.”

Of the consented geothermal takes in the Tauranga geothermal system, 73 are for irrigation and/or frost protection and 98 are for pool and/or space heating.

Poutasi said current levels of use were considered “sustainable system-wide” and should not induce excessive levels of cooling.

Most of the consents were for relatively small volumes, with about 25% of the geothermal water used for “non-geothermal” uses such as irrigation and/or frost protection for commercial horticultural crops.