Delay for Ruataniwha water scheme review

Hawkes Bay Regional Cr Rex Graham

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council has agreed to delay the report on the review of the Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme for two weeks to have further advice prepared.

Originally planned for April 26, the report will now be delivered on May 10.

The Council commissioned the review of the key contractual, legal, financial, economic and environmental elements of the scheme, including the impacts and consequences of implementing Plan Change 6 with and without the scheme, as well as the implications of withdrawing from the scheme.

Councillors have received a draft of the review report and during a workshop last week heard from a range of expert advisors who have contributed.

Council chairman Rex Graham says regional councillors have received a large volume of advice, including more than 400 pages of reports, on many critical issues affecting the Council's decision, and have asked for further information.

"This is a hugely important decision for our community and it is essential that we make it based on the best available advice.

The Council does not believe it is in the region's best interests for the review to be rushed when we have further matters we want clarified. The review has made good progress over the last couple of months and I am optimistic we will be in a position to make a decision on whether to or not to continue with the scheme by end of May."

The Council plans to hold a special Council meeting at 1pm on Wednesday, May 10 to formally receive the review report. This will be followed by advice on options for responding to the review at a following Council committee meeting, and a formal decision on the future of the scheme is expected to be made at the Council meeting on May 31.