News Release

July 30 2009 – for immediate release

Water – Future proofing the Hawkes Bay

Future proofing Hawkes Bay water will be the hot topic at a public seminar to be held in the region on August 6.

Including an expert panel on water issues the evening facilitated by well known broadcaster Chris Laidlaw will also take in opportunity for the public audience to fire questions.

Presented by Irrigation New Zealand and supported by WaterForce and the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council the seminar is expected to be one of lively and informed debate based around water issues in the Hawke’s Bay and wider New Zealand.

Irrigation New Zealand (INZ) Chief Executive Andrew Curtis says there are two distinct water availability areas in the Hawke’s Bay that need to be managed quite differently - the water aplenty situation and the fully allocated.

“The current RMA system works well where there’s no pressure on the water resource but in areas under pressure it results in an adversarial approach where nobody gains anything, apart from the lawyers and consultants,” Curtis said.

What is needed is a coherent unified approach to advance the work already underway in the region.

To do this the challenges must be tackled head on to move forward and the whole system needs community engagement, Curtis said.

“This public seminar is aimed at advancing the work being done. Getting rid of any disjointed approaches and moving forward with cohesive community engagement. At the end of the day all parties want the same things - a healthy environment and a prosperous economy.”

Curtis said the antiquated water allocation system urgently requires upgrading as significant volumes of water are tied up on paper but in reality never used.

Other challenges for the region include water metering, in particular the cost for small growers and metering portable systems, and river minimum flow and groundwater availability revisions - especially the potential implications for this on existing users.

Climate change predictions for the East Coast of the North Island also need considering as part of a cohesive community approach to enable the region’s overall water challenges to move forward.

“Greater climatic extremes could pose a real threat to the region. You just have to look at what drives the Heretaunga Plains economy to realise the significance of water - processing plants, packhouses and wineries. None of which would be in existence without irrigation water for crops.”

On a broader scale NZ’s water management framework needs an overhaul.

The missing link in NZ is a futures thinking national strategic plan that would give some direction and consistency to the regions.

Governance should then be at the local level where community values can be truly reflected using science to inform but not drive the debate around supply management (limits and allocations).

The next, much overlooked, part of the equation is optimal demand management. Zone based real time frameworks alongside adoption of efficient water use practices maximising the potential of water.

“This is essential if the full economic and environmental gains are to be realised. The last part of the equation is developing infrastructure which has to combine environmental, cultural, social and economic needs.”

Curtis assures there is plenty of water to go round in New Zealand.

“It just needs storing and optimal demand management frameworks put in place.”

Curtis will be joined in the seminar’s panel of experts by Andrew Newman of the Hawkes Bay Regional Council, Iain Maxwell (Fish and Game NZ), Hugh Ritchie (INZ board member and Federated Farmers NZ) and Maori committee chairman Mike Mohi.

The ‘Water – Future proofing Hawkes Bay’ seminar with Chris Laidlaw is open to anyone interested in engaging in the community’s challenges and opportunities going forward.

The seminar will be held at the Havelock North Community Centre, Te Mata Road, Havelock North on Thursday August 6 from 7.30pm-9.30pm. Admission is free – sponsored by WaterForce.

ENDS

© Scoop Media