Warning council could turn the tap off heeded

Three of the four new water consents granted by council were to irrigate crops, or pasture. Photo / File

There have been four new applications to take water from the Heretaunga Aquifer since the Hawke's Bay Regional Council signalled a possible ban on new water allocation.

However these were all in the pipeline prior to the council's August announcement, meaning its plea for potential applicants to hold off lodging new consents appears to have been heard loud and clear.

In August the council announced new TANK science had shown the volume of water being taken was at the "limit of what is environmentally acceptable", with all takes having an effect on surface water bodies.

At the time the council said this meant granting new consents for further water allocation was "no longer acceptable" until new TANK water management framework had been established.

By law the council still had to receive and consider new applications, but could decline those which did not show the take would not have adverse effects on surface water bodies.

Yesterday council consents manager external relations group Malcolm Miller said they had received and processed four new resource consent applications since the announcement.

"The reasons for issuing these consents were that the applicants had made commitments based on previous Council advice prior to 18 August 2017."

Of these applications, three were lodged to take water for irrigation and similar purposes by growers. One was lodged by "startup lifestyle beverage company" Apollo Foods to take water to use in a food and beverage processing factory.

There had been no other applications for new consents received by council since August.

In this period, the council had received applications for changes to existing consents. These included applications for changes that were not applying for more water, or that were expiring consents and seeking replacement, Mr Miller said.

The fact no brand new consent applications had been lodged was seen by council chair Rex Graham as people recognising a limit had been reached.

"Everyone of us as a community need to remind ourselves that water is a precious commodity or taonga (treasure) and we need to use it wisely.

"We've been so spoilt for so many years thinking we have this unlimited source of water and we do have one of the finest sources of water in the world but we need to treat it a little bit more preciously than we do, everyone of us."

Water drawn from the Heretaunga aquifer services the water supply for Hastings and Napier, as well as various business, and industries across these areas.

August's advice came from new science from the TANK Group, which is reviewing the way land and water resources are managed in the Greater Heretaunga and Ahuriri area.

The council has advised that at current usage levels the groundwater was being used sustainably, but the current volumes being taken out were having a significant effect on surface bodies.

There is currently more water allocated than is used.