Central Otago District Council to consider river report

District council economic development manager Warwick Hawker. Photo / Supplied

A proposed district council report could better inform the people of Central Otago about what minimum flows in the Manuherikia River will mean for them.

The Central Otago District Council will decide at a meeting this Wednesday whether to commission an economic impact study into the effect of minimum flows in the river, which are being set by the Otago Regional Council.

Irrigation permits for the river expire in 2021.

At workshops last month the regional council offered options between 1250 litres per sec and 2500 litres per sec, although it has said these are not the only choices.

A report by district council economic development manager Warwick Hawker said a study should be commissioned to inform the public on the impact different flow levels would have for different industries.

''The regional council is required to prepare a report which clearly identifies and assesses the benefits, costs and risks of the plan change on the community, the economy and the environment.

''However, this will not be prepared until the regional council has identified its preferred minimum flow regime,'' Mr Hawker said.

The work will involve modelling the effect of three different minimum flows on the amount of water that would be made available for irrigation, estimate how much production would be lost through restricted water use, and assess what the economic impact would be to the region.

The completion of models and an assessment report would cost $19,000 to $21,000 and the regional economic assessment and report would cost $5400 to $7000.

If commissioned, the study is expected to take four to six weeks.