River bid gets put on a fast track
Auckland’s quest for Waikato water to be examined by judge-led panel
Auckland’s controversial request to take an extra 200 million litres of water a day from the Waikato River will now be heard by a board of inquiry.
In the meantime Hamilton City Council has done a deal with Watercare to give it 25 million litres a day from its unused water allocation while it awaits the inquiry outcome.
After recent rain Auckland’s lake levels have reached 54.5 per cent, about 10 per cent higher than a week ago. But Watercare chief executive Raveen Jaduram said they were still 20 per cent below what they would be normally.
Environment Minister David Parker yesterday referred the application for water — lodged by the council in 2013 for future use — to a board of inquiry under Part 6AA of the Resource Management Act 1991.
Parker said the sourcing of drinking water for Auckland was nationally significant and the application affected not only Auckland but also other activities in the Waikato and the river itself.
“The inquiry will need to consider the viability of alternatives, including the treatment of storm and/or wastewater. Water taken for Auckland from the Waikato already includes treated water from outfalls from storm water and treated wastewater upstream of its take.”
The board of inquiry will be made up of three people and led by a current or retired Environment Court judge.
The Waikato River Authority has been asked to name an appointee to the inquiry, which it can do under section 29 (5) of the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act 2010.
Parker will appoint the third person on Environmental Protection Committee advice.
The board has up to nine months to rule, but Parker expected interim solutions like transferring 25 million litres of water a day for the coming summer to be transferred and settled outside of this.
Instead the inquiry would sort through important issues such as whether Auckland should be allowed the 200 million litres of water a day over other commercial users in Waikato, he said.
Parker said he was surprised it has taken seven years to get to this point but the application was made for water Auckland did not think it would need until 2030.
And even if the application was granted now, Auckland didn’t have the capabilities to process an extra 200 million litres per day at the moment.
He said Auckland’s drought situation and population growth has given Auckland authorities “a bit of a fright” and everyone including Hamilton City Council was trying to help.
The inquiry comes after the Government, Waikato Regional Council and the Hamilton council have been working with Auckland and other interested parties over several months to solve its water crisis.
Auckland mayor Phil Goff welcomed the decision to fast track the resource consent for the Waikato water take by giving it to a board of inquiry.
“We have argued strongly that the current system is broken and Auckland needs to be able to present its case without further delay.”
Waikato Regional Council chairman Russ Rimmington last week slammed the Auckland Council for its backhanded approach over the application for an extra 200 million litres a day. He instead backed 100 million litres a day during high-flow periods.
On Monday the Waikato River Authority said Auckland should pay for more water from the Waikato River and suggested up to 10 cents a litre, or $20 million a day, to support the restoration and protection of the Waikato River.
Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate said the confidential deal enabled Watercare to use some of its allocation and taking up to 25 million litres daily from the Waikato River would not affect the availability of water for Hamiltonians.
“Watercare asked us for assistance in May and we have done a huge amount of work since then to provide that help.
“But . . . any arrangement must have the health of the river at its heart.”
Auckland needs to . . . present its case without further delay.
Phil Goff, Auckland mayor