Surrendering control

Regardless of what one thinks about the merits or otherwise of the Waimea dam, the revelation of yet another secret arrangement between Tasman District Council and Waimea Irrigators Ltd (WIL) is truly gobsmacking.

Under these ‘‘mitigation’’ arrangements, it is proposed that if a future council, for any reason, materially changes the relativity of the rights or obligations of affiliated WIL shareholders and persons who are not affiliated, a minimum $50 million payment will be made by the ratepayer to WIL as compensation. This provision will have the effect of tying the hands of future councils, and ensure that water will always be rationed to non-affiliated water users regardless of whether it is a scarce commodity. This means that a small group of wealthy irrigators would have a monopoly on water right allocations. They would set the price of any water shares sold, and they would determine if the applicant is a worthy recipient of said shares.

TDC is surrendering all control of water on the Waimea Plains to these individuals. Throughout the entire period of secret negotiations between TDC and WIL, TDC has gone along to a gunfight armed only with over-inflated egos and a penknife.

Steve Cross

Nelson, October 16