Water hui delayed to fit in with water inquiry report

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule, left, Ngati Kahungunu chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana and HBRC chairman Rex Graham announce the water symposium in December, now taking place in late May or early June.

This week's announcement that the Havelock North water inquiry findings would be delayed until May has meant a planned water symposium in Hawke's Bay will also be postponed.

Tentatively scheduled for the end of April, the fact that the initial findings of the inquiry, regarding the response to the contamination outbreak, would not be released until May 12 meant the symposium date had been shifted back again.

The regional hui was originally mooted in December to be convened by Hastings Mayor Mr Yule, Hawke's Bay Regional Council chairman Rex Graham and Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana, and held in March.

Delays in finding a venue meant the event was pushed out until the end of April or early May, but now it's been re-scheduled until either May 22 or June 1 and 2 so the inquiry findings can form part of the discussion.

In a statement to announce the hui last December the three regional leaders said the recent water crisis had put a sharp focus on water issues including delivery of safe drinking water, public concern about water bottling plants, the GNS report, the TANK process and long-term sustainability of the Heretaunga aquifer.

"Water is the lifeblood of the Heretaunga Plains and in many ways it has been taken for granted. As the most important natural resource it needs to be looked after," the statement said.

Mr Yule reiterated yesterday that the event would be an opportunity to inform the public as well as allow people to have their say and ask questions about the complex water issues on the Heretaunga Plains.

"It's about public engagement - while water has been treated as a commodity in the past, people now have a far greater interest in its importance to life in general," he said.

The symposium would cover the current water situation and the science around water among other issues.

He said the final details about who would pay for the event had not been sorted out yet, but estimated it would not cost much more than $10,000 to host, with most costs related to venue hire and catering.

Draft annual plan submissions

The new timing for the inquiry findings meant consultation on the Hastings District Council's draft annual plan and response to the water crisis, including plans to spend $12 million on possible additional treatment, potential new water sources and network enhancements, would also be extended.

Mr Yule said the deadline for submissions on the rest of the consultation items in the draft annual plan would remain the same, closing on May 8, but submissions on the water section of the plan would close on May 18 to give people time to consider the inquiry's report.