New water allocation rules

18 November 2015

To all Bay of Plenty and Rotorua members

Region-wide changes are being proposed to the way water is being allocated. Changes are proposed to the daily allowable water take, along with a new requirement to have meters installed in most cases.

Resource consent will be triggered for takes that total over 15 cubic metres per day, per property (beyond personal and stock watering needs) regardless of the source. This is a significant reduction from the total of 50 cubic metres per day (15m3 from surface water and 35m3 from groundwater) that is currently allowed.

Note: that water for stock and domestic use will NOT need to be factored into that volume limit. 

Most dairy farms will be over this limit and will therefore require consent for dairy shed wash down and milk cooling purposes.  As such the proposal will increase operating and compliance costs.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council has been conducting region wide meetings over the last few months.  They are working hard to get your feedback and NEED to know how this will impact on your business so that changes can be made and the next (and more formal) stage is as informed as possible.

This is your opportunity to make a difference to how the final proposal will look. All members are strongly encouraged to make a submission using the simple form on the council website. Federated Farmers will lodge a comprehensive submission, but we need farmers to spell out the practical and individual implications also.

Feedback to the council is required by 5pm 1 December 2015.

Please inform your non member neighbours of this process and encourage them to provide feedback.

For more information, please contact:

Hilary Walker
Federated Farmers of New Zealand
P:  0800 327 646
E:  hwalker@fedfarm.org.nz

Glenys Kroon
Bay of Plenty Regional Council
P:   0800 884 881 ext 8324