Public meeting to urge opposition to water conservation order

Horticulture New Zealand national seasonal labour co-ordinator Jerf van Beek is one of the speakers at tonight's public meeting against the water conservation order. Photo/ file.

A public meeting encouraging people to take a stand against the proposed water conservation order is being held at Twyford Hall tonight.

The order application was jointly requested to Environment Minister Nick Smith by The New Zealand Fish and Game Council, the Hawke's Bay Fish and Game Council, Ngati Hori ki Kohupatiki, Whitewater New Zealand, Jet Boating New Zealand, and the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand, however Hawke's Bay Regional Council and local growers have openly opposed the move.

The WCO imposes restrictions, or prohibitions on how water from the Ngaruroro and Clive rivers is used - which has raised concerns WCO could result in job losses.

Horticulture New Zealand is one of the organisers of tonight's meeting and national seasonal labour co-ordinator Jerf van Beek said they wanted to inform people about how much of a disaster it would be for the Bay if the order went ahead.

"When people first hear about it everyone says yes to protecting the river as they don't know what it is fully about. Hawke's Bay is for Hawke's Bay so Hawke's Bay should decide how to manage the rivers and it shouldn't be done by organisations who are far removed."

TANK group was established to make recommendations to the Regional Planning Committee on the future use of land and water resources in the Tutaekuri, Ahuriri, Ngaruroro and Karamu catchments and Mr van Beek said the WCO would compromise this.

John Bostock of Bostock New Zealand said in Hawke's Bay Today's Talking Point that TANK had been a process that sought to gain genuine consensus by understanding each other's point of view and progress had been significant in finding common ground.

"In stark contrast head office Fish and Game New Zealand have decided to cut across the entire project and at this late stage and are seeking to impose a radical and ridiculous WCO over the entire Ngaruroro and Clive River to the sea."

Back in 2013 the Growers Action Group held a tractor rally against the Regional Council's stance against Twyford irrigation during the drought as it sought to protect minimum flows of the Ngaruroro River and they worked to replace then sitting members with Rex Graham, Peter Beaven, Tom Belford and Rick Barker at the 2013 election.

Mr Bostock said they would be doing another tractor protest next month to show the depth of feeling against the WCO.

At tonight's meeting Mr van Beet said they would discuss technical and scientific information, legal matters and the impact the order would have further down the track.

"Unless the WCO is stopped we will no longer be able to call Hawke's Bay the fruit bowl of New Zealand."

The public meeting begins at 7pm tonight at Twyford Hall.