Manuherikia minimumflow proposal will backfire

GRAYE Shattky (ODT, 3.7.18) raises some very valid points about farming in the Manuherikia Valley being a significant contributor to our valley’s heritage and society, and that most of us would like to see that continue. I completely agree.

He is mistaken, however, when he states that farmers do themselves no favours by ‘‘inflaming public opinion with suggestions of more dairy’’.

Manuherikia water users are very concerned at the latest Otago Regional Council proposals for minimum flows in that river.

When farmers say the numbers are too high and will result in farms converting to dairy, they are not deliberately scaremongering the community. They are giving the community an insight into their own business’s personal considerations of how they would cope with the higher flows announced.

The valley has such a unique opportunity to reconsent irrigation schemes, have high efficiency on the farms, improve the environment and remain with varying land uses, as the predicted costs are not like other schemes around New Zealand that immediately force everyone to dairy.

What the ORC has done, by announcing numbers based on very little background information but substantially higher than currently managed to, is mislead the community that these numbers are achievable on status quo.

And they will force those that have to pay — the water users — to high intensity landuse to fund it.

The farmers ask, is this what the community wants? Gary Kelliher

Alexandra

A capital index

THE Dene Mackenzie piece ‘‘Broker: look beyond ‘all time high’ reports’’ (ODT, 26.6.18) has a Mr Smalley referring to a ‘‘capital index’’ for shares which would seem to require much more explanation.

There is no Wikipedia or Yahoo Finance definition, or indication which countries use it. And why it isn’t regularly reported?

Also, a seasoned investor of 50 years has not ever heard of that index.

Craig Werner Macandrew Bay