Rural Women wade into WCO debate

Tensions have risen about an application for a Water Conservation Order which would apply to two Hawke's Bay waterways. Photo / File

A group of rural Hawke's Bay women have weighed in on the Water Conservation Order (WCO) which they say would economically harm local businesses.

The WCO which seeks to protect "outstanding" features of the Ngaruroro and Clive rivers has become a controversial topic, with lobby group Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) the most recent group to speak out against the application.

They have submitted opposing parts of the WCO which propose to limit the take of water from the lower Ngaruroro river, in particular below Whanawhana.

In their submission, RWNZ said the applicants had failed to consider "the needs of rural families and communities who derive their livelihood from primary and secondary production".

"The region is a food producing region and many rural families and communities are dependant on and involved in the primary or secondary production industries and their service industries in some way."

Instead, the applicants of the order had not "given due consideration to the downstream consequences" of reducing the ability for these producers to access the water needed to grow their crops.

Although there are two RWNZ branches in Hawke's Bay, it was thought the Korokipo branch would be the most affected by the order.

President Tamzin Coull said all their members - around 20 women - would be adversely affected if the WCO went through in its current form.

From rural businesses, to horticulture, all their members were passionate about their businesses, and the people they employed - whose jobs depended on the business staying afloat.

For Ms Coull personally, "we're service orientated so should there be an impact it would affect us, our business probably wouldn't survive."

The application is currently in the process, with the Special Tribunal holding a pre-hearing conference this Friday.

Although RWNZ recognised it was "sometimes difficult to balance the environmental interests and the interests of recreation users and growers and producers", they said the interest of those who made a living from primary produce needed to be factored in.

Should the tribunal determine the application is appropriate for the lower reaches of the river, RWNZ stated they opposed the range of controls, and prohibitions suggested within the draft order for the stretch below Whanawhana cableway.

"We propose that an alternative range of controls, limits and restrictions be considered that are enabling of food, fibre, and wine production values."

These values were "integral to the cultural identity and economic wellbeing of the local communities and any revised water conservation order should consider the protection of those values because they are outstanding, both nationally and regionally."

Forest and Bird - one of the WCO applicants - declined to comment.