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behind the electioneering hype news goes on un-noticed

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« on: November 25, 2011, 07:26:12 am »


while our attention has been diverted by electioneering,  behind the scene and largely un-noticed, life goes on

'Really good decisions' welcomed
Home » News » Regions
By David Bruce on Fri, 25 Nov 2011
The Regions: North Otago

Groups opposed to large-scale dairying in the Upper Waitaki catchment have welcomed a decision declining irrigation water for the developments.

However, those associated with the three companies proposing 16 dairy farms running up to 17,850 cows in the Omarama and Ohau Basins did not return messages from the Otago Daily Times yesterday.

An Environment Canterbury panel on Wednesday released the first decisions on 109 resource consent applications for water, mostly for irrigation.

Nine water applications, including for dairy-farm developments proposed by Southdown Holdings Ltd, Williamson Holdings Ltd and Five Rivers Ltd, were all declined.

The main issue was the effect on water quality in groundwater, streams, rivers and lakes in the catchment, with the panel not satisfied enough research and information existed for it to make a judgement.

Waitaki First chairwoman Helen Brookes said her organisation was delighted with the decisions, particularly relating to the dairying developments.

"It is pleasing to have our intuitions confirmed that [large-scale dairying] was not appropriate for a whole lot of reasons," she said.

Like the hearings panel, its major concern was with retaining water quality and it also felt more research was needed on the effects of irrigation.

While Waitaki First opposed large-scale irrigation, particularly for dairying, in the Upper Waitaki it had supported small-scale and existing irrigation.

Dr Brookes hoped the panel would renew existing consents: "We would not like to see the benefits to the local communities go down the gurgler".

Central South Island Fish and Game Council manager Jay Graybill described them as "really good decisions" which answered the key issues his organisation raised. What was unusual was the panel also considered the cumulative effects on water quality, which had not always been done.

The panel had also taken a precautionary approach, particularly over water quality, he said.

Forest and Bird had also been active in opposing the developments and its conservation advocate, Nicola Vallance, said there was no place for "industrial-scale dairying" in the region.

Forest and Bird hoped the upcoming decisions reflected the same concerns and considerations around water pollution.

Other water consents declined in the initial decisions were.-Lilybank Holdings Station Ltd:

• Water from Station Stream to irrigate up to 172ha for pastures and crops.

• High Country Rosehips Orchards Ltd: Water from the Ohau B canal near Twizel to irrigate up to 500ha of rosehips, crops and pasture.

• Rosehips Orchards NZ Ltd: Water from the Ohau C canal near Twizel to irrigate up to 610ha of rosehips and crops, including lucerne.

• Killermont Station Ltd: Water from the Ahuriri River to irrigate up to 300ha of crops and pasture and from the Tara Hills race to irrigate up to 216ha of crops and pasture.

- david.bruce@odt.co.nz

http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/188083/really-good-decisions-welcomed



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« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2011, 07:40:43 am »


while our attention has been diverted by electioneering,  behind the scene and largely un-noticed, life goes on

'Really good decisions' welcomed
Home » News » Regions
By David Bruce on Fri, 25 Nov 2011
The Regions: North Otago

Groups opposed to large-scale dairying in the Upper Waitaki catchment have welcomed a decision declining irrigation water for the developments.

However, those associated with the three companies proposing 16 dairy farms running up to 17,850 cows in the Omarama and Ohau Basins did not return messages from the Otago Daily Times yesterday.

An Environment Canterbury panel on Wednesday released the first decisions on 109 resource consent applications for water, mostly for irrigation.

Nine water applications, including for dairy-farm developments proposed by Southdown Holdings Ltd, Williamson Holdings Ltd and Five Rivers Ltd, were all declined.

The main issue was the effect on water quality in groundwater, streams, rivers and lakes in the catchment, with the panel not satisfied enough research and information existed for it to make a judgement.

Waitaki First chairwoman Helen Brookes said her organisation was delighted with the decisions, particularly relating to the dairying developments.

"It is pleasing to have our intuitions confirmed that [large-scale dairying] was not appropriate for a whole lot of reasons," she said.

Like the hearings panel, its major concern was with retaining water quality and it also felt more research was needed on the effects of irrigation.

While Waitaki First opposed large-scale irrigation, particularly for dairying, in the Upper Waitaki it had supported small-scale and existing irrigation.

Dr Brookes hoped the panel would renew existing consents: "We would not like to see the benefits to the local communities go down the gurgler".

Central South Island Fish and Game Council manager Jay Graybill described them as "really good decisions" which answered the key issues his organisation raised. What was unusual was the panel also considered the cumulative effects on water quality, which had not always been done.

The panel had also taken a precautionary approach, particularly over water quality, he said.

Forest and Bird had also been active in opposing the developments and its conservation advocate, Nicola Vallance, said there was no place for "industrial-scale dairying" in the region.

Forest and Bird hoped the upcoming decisions reflected the same concerns and considerations around water pollution.

Other water consents declined in the initial decisions were.-Lilybank Holdings Station Ltd:

• Water from Station Stream to irrigate up to 172ha for pastures and crops.

• High Country Rosehips Orchards Ltd: Water from the Ohau B canal near Twizel to irrigate up to 500ha of rosehips, crops and pasture.

• Rosehips Orchards NZ Ltd: Water from the Ohau C canal near Twizel to irrigate up to 610ha of rosehips and crops, including lucerne.

• Killermont Station Ltd: Water from the Ahuriri River to irrigate up to 300ha of crops and pasture and from the Tara Hills race to irrigate up to 216ha of crops and pasture.

- david.bruce@odt.co.nz

http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/188083/really-good-decisions-welcomed



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As my father, who has been a farmer since he was 16 running beef sheep and dairy, there are some places that should not be dairy farmed.
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« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2011, 07:46:14 am »

while our attention has been diverted by electioneering -

 it seems that KOHA  is being waved about in a story at present appearing  in the Ashburton Guardian

 (FYI, Ashburton could be called "the hub of the Rakaia River and Lake Coleridge district")


Big plans for Lake Coleridge 

November 24, 2011

TrustPower has big plans to improve the area around Lake Coleridge for walkers, bird-watchers, anglers and freedom campers.

The power generator has a list of potential environmental enhancement projects to which it is prepared to commit $100,000 a year if its water storage plans for the lake progress.
Part of those plans involve an application to change a Water Conservation Order on the Rakaia River, which has generated around 140 submissions.
TrustPower says the overall project will allow more hydro-generation, more water for irrigation and environmental restoration.
Canterbury development manager Ian Lees said the ecological plans would enhance the area. The company and adjoining landowners had already cleaned up camping areas and planned to install toilets, replacing derelict shacks and long-drops.
He said TrustPower was looking for feedback on its potential projects, and wanted to have a five-year plan that would have tangible benefits. A management team will consider how the money will be spent annually, on a use it or lose it basis.
Areas already identified included the Rakaia Gorge, Kowhai Flats, the Harper Delta and Lowes Cutting.

 

Comments
0 #1 Michael Gregory 2011-11-23 22:16
The campers at Ryton Bay cleaned their area, not the landowner or Trustpower, and left it in pristine condition. If a mess was left it would have been at the Harper end of the lake. There were two seperate camping areas at Lake Coleridge and both were successfully closed down by the Labour/Greens and John Shrimpton the landowner. If camping were to continue at Lake Coleridge, the safest, most accessible and sheltered area would be at Ryton Bay. The proposed Freedom Camping area at the top of the lake is unsuitable at best from an issue of safety for the boat users. The dangers of the lake and the winds that can get up to gale force in minutes do not seem to be appreciated or acknowledged by most.
Quote

http://www.ashburtonguardian.co.nz/news/todays-news/5858-big-plans-for-lake-coleridge.html
 
and

Quote
...Synlait (and Fonterra’as new factory currently under construction) stands to benefit from an anticipated surge in dairy farming in the area boosted by a $100 million taxpayer-funded irrigation fund promised by National....
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/synlaits-100m-factory-boosts-dairying-ch-104847 

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« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2011, 08:50:48 am »



 this slots in somewhere in the date timeline, my coloured emphasis

Rakaia water battle lines drawn
By Susan Sandys November 24, 2011

The battle for the mighty Rakaia River’s Water Conservation Order (WCO) has begun, with 93 per cent of submissions opposing its variation.

Submissions to Environment Canterbury closed on Monday at 5pm.

There were 219 received, with just nine in support and 204 against. Five of the supporting submitters want to be heard, while 59 of the opposers want to be heard. Six submitters neither support nor oppose, and three of these wish to be heard.

TrustPower has applied to vary the WCO, placed on the river in 1988, so its proposed $250 million irrigation and hydro-power generation Lake Coleridge Project can proceed.
North Canterbury Fish and Game environment officer Tony Hawker said he considered the overall number of submissions to be low. For the Central Plains Water project more than 1000 were received and for the Hurunui water project about 900 were received.
He was not disappointed at the low number as it was the “quality of the submissions that count”, and it had to be expected with potential submitters suffering burnout with regard to water issues in the region, and following the Canterbury earthquakes.

He said the level of opposing submitters signalled that TrustPower needed to do some real work on the application.

“Perhaps they need to work on something that has benefits to a whole range of values not just maximizing TrustPower’s aims,” Mr Hawker said.
He said the power company’s application process had been “hurried”. Now was the time for power companies and irrigators to “ram through” such changes. This was because Environment Canterbury had commissioners in place instead of regional councillors until 2013, and during that time the public had no appeal rights on WCOs.

Until 2013 it would be “slightly easier” to succeed in a variation application.

TrustPower’s regional manager Ian Lees rejected the allegation.
TrustPower had been meeting with zone committees, undertaking thorough studies and holding public meetings.
“The whole process has been collaborative and structured,” Mr Lees said.

He also believed the number of submissions was relatively low. When a WCO was applied for on the Rangitata River there had been about 1100 submissions.
He would have liked there to have been more people supporting the project.

“It would have been nice if it was the other way around, but we have got what we have got,” Mr Lees said.
It was now time for TrustPower to analyse which submissions were of substance as the company moved towards hearings, and meeting with some of those wanting to be heard and possibly allaying concerns prior to hearings.

http://www.ashburtonguardian.co.nz/news/todays-news/5866-rakaia-water-battle-lines-drawn.html

 nitz thanks the Smith siblings for  and during that time the public had no appeal rights on WCOs.
 
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« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2012, 01:42:44 am »


Irrigation restrictions hitting dairy farmers

By Linda Clarke

January 10, 2012
 
Irrigation restrictions on the Rakaia River could make life hard for dairy farmers who need water from the river to keep pastures growing.
 
Farmers on the Barrhill Chertsey Irrigation Scheme, which is affected by low flows in the Rakaia, have been on full restrictions for several days.
BCI has consent to pump water from the Rakaia up into the northern end of the Rangitata Diversion Race, where it is distributed for irrigation.
 
The Rangitata Diversion Race feeds the Mayfield Hinds, Ashburton Lyndhurst and Valetta Irrigation Schemes, and spare water has been trickling through to help BCI farmers.

But BCI chairman John Wright said the restrictions once again highlighted the importance of being able to use Lake Coleridge to store water.
 
TrustPower has lodged applications to vary the Rakaia's Water Conservation Order and store water when there is surplus in the river, and release it to generate electricity or supply farmers with irrigation in the summer.

Mr Wright said the restrictions were no surprise.
Those with consents to take water from the Rakaia were used to doing without at this time of year.

"Most of the arable guys are reasonably comfortable and the early crops are pretty good.

"But the dairy guys are affected.

"Their supply needs to be right through."

The warm weather is helping arable farmers stay on track for a good harvest.

Valetta farmer David Clark said crops were maturing slowly and sunshine was needed now.

The odd barley crop has already been harvested, with grass seeds likely at the end of this week.

Contractor Donald Love was at Mr Clark's farm at the weekend, windrowing a hybrid rape crop. He said the season was off to a late start but he and staff were set for a busy period, harvesting up to 25 different types of crops.

Modern machinery made the job achievable.

The Loves have three windrowers in operation this year, the newest one (a 2012 MacDon M205) pressed into service straight after delivery last week.
"Farmers put so much time, effort and money into growing their crops that we believe it is important to have the latest technology and reliable equipment to ensure they maximise potential yields."

http://www.ashburtonguardian.co.nz/news/todays-news/6285-irrigation-restrictions-hitting-dairy-farmers.html

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« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2012, 07:05:02 am »

I will reiterate my view that there are some parts of this country that should never have been converted to dairy farming as in large chunks of the eastern side of the South Island.
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« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2012, 04:22:25 pm »


see also   http://xtranewscommunity2.smfforfree.com/index.php/topic,2434.0/msg,126326.html
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« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2012, 02:26:55 am »





Irrigators fear water proposal

By Linda Clarke  February 14, 2012
 
Downstream Rakaia River irrigators fear their water-takes will be reduced if TrustPower’s Lake Coleridge Project eventually gets the go-ahead.

The big power generator has plans to use Lake Coleridge to store water when the Rakaia is in high flow then release it via its hydro-generation facilities to irrigators during restrictions. The first step is an application to Environment Canterbury commissioners to amend a water conservation order on the river.
But the process is as complicated as the Rakaia’s braided riverbed.
Commissioners Peter Salmon, Mike Bowden and Rau Kirikiri spent the first day of the six-week hearing yesterday getting their heads around the river and some of the major irrigation infrastructure. They will visit the area personally later in the hearing.
TrustPower’s counsel Bal Matheson said a team of high power consultants had spent four years working on the Coleridge project, which could only go ahead if the amendment was granted.
He said TrustPower was not seeking to take water, just store it in the lake on behalf of irrigators with water take consents and then release it at their request. Irrigators would pay for the privilege, but those who did not sign up would not be able to access the stored water when it was released.
Mid Canterbury farmers would be the first to benefit from the project, as the first stage does not require resource consent and involves releasing stored water into the Rakaia to improve the reliability of water for Barrhill Chertsey Irrigation Limited.
Consents would be needed for subsequent stages, the last involving the construction of a canal and power stations from Lake Coleridge.
TrustPower is putting its case for an amendment first, but South Rakaia bach owners and Rakaia River irrigators will make submissions later in the process. Bach owners fear for the health of the river if flows are altered, and irrigators worry their existing water-takes will be affected.
Dairy Holdings chief executive Colin Glass will say the company had a large number of farming operations that relied on surface water from the Rakaia, which it considered the “power house” of its operations.
Any change in the existing level of reliability of its water-take consents would have a significant impact on operations and farm productivity.
Dairy Holdings and Rakaia River Irrigation Association members want their takes protected.
Mr Matheson said today downstream users would be asked to provide more information to TrustPower and the generator wanted to address potential effects.
The water conservation order is one of 19 in place on special rivers and waterways around the country. He said the company did not seek to amend a clause in the order protecting the Rakaia’s outstanding characteristics and features but change other clauses to allow TrustPower to manage water differently.
The volume of water entering and leaving the lake was not expected to change much, but the historical pattern of discharge from Lake Coleridge’s hydro-generation facility would change.
The commissioners will make a recommendation to Environment Minister Nick Smith after hearing reading or hearing the evidence of 224 submitters.

http://www.ashburtonguardian.co.nz/news/todays-news/6655-irrigators-fear-water-proposal.html
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« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2012, 10:22:54 am »


Irrigation ponds may pose flood risk
MICHAEL WRIGHT
Last updated 05:00 25/02/2012
 1 comment

More than 200 properties in the Waimakariri district are at risk of flooding if proposed irrigation storage ponds fail.

Waimakariri Irrigation Ltd (WIL) notified 212 residents last week their properties were in a potential flood zone if the storage ponds breached.

The risk could lead to insurance premium increases for affected residents.

The Waimakariri scheme irrigates 18,000 hectares stretching towards Rangiora.

The company plans to spend $20 million on two storage ponds, covering 100 hectares and holding 8.4 million cubic metres of water, to be built at Wrights Rd, on the north bank of the Waimakariri River, south of Oxford.

The proposal has shareholder backing, but WIL is yet to apply for resource consent.

WIL general manager Brent Walton said affected residents could attend one of two "drop-in" meetings and talk with dam engineers about specific flooding estimates for their property.

"The deepest is at the breach point. The pond walls at the highest point will be 12 metres deep. Right there it's anywhere from 3m to 6m of water but that very quickly dissipates – 100m out from the pond walls it flattens out."

Possible flood levels would vary greatly, Walton said, as the land in question "looks like a braided river".

"Where ever you've got that sort of pattern going you've got deep areas and shallow areas.

"Where you've got hollows and troughs there can be up to 2m of water. There are some areas that don't get affected at all."

The most serious flooding would happen only if the southern or eastern walls of the ponds gave way, he said.

"If it burst on the western side ... you're only talking 100 millimetres like what you would get in a heavy rainfall event."

A breach was "very, very unlikely" but the company wanted to ensure residents knew about all possible risks, Walton said, including possible insurance implications.

"Quite honestly, some insurance companies have said it could affect people's insurance. Premiums might go up [but] they only talked single figure percentages. One or two others have said they couldn't see it being an issue because large ponds just don't fail."

Waimakariri District Council could not confirm to Walton if landowners would have the flood risk recorded on their property's title.

"Generally something only appears on a LIM report if it's a function of a [council's] district plan. Obviously the ponds aren't part of the district plan but they also have a provision in there that they can put in extraordinary structures.

"The advice the council have given me is they couldn't make that call until the consent application's actually been considered."

Poyntzs Rd resident Daria Martin received a letter that she was in the flood zone last week.

"If it's an overflowing water race that leaves an inch [of water] in my paddock, I'm not going to be too concerned. But my house is at ground level so it's only going to take a few inches flowing over my property before it goes into my house."

The notification had left her feeling "a little bit powerless".

"It upset me. The rest of the community thinks it fabulous for all the farmers. Where's the mention of the other people who aren't going to benefit who are now in the flood path?"

WIL would finalise the dam design and submit their consent application next month.

About 20 of the scheme's 212 shareholders were among the affected residents.

A public meeting would be held on the proposal in Oxford tomorrow night.

- © Fairfax NZ News

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/6478263/Irrigation-ponds-may-pose-flood-risk
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« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2012, 11:37:15 am »



Irrigator battles TrustPower
DAVID WILLIAMS
Last updated 05:00 13/03/2012

Canterbury irrigation heavyweight Central Plains Water (CPW) has moved to protect its water-take consents by objecting to proposals to alter the Rakaia River's water-conservation order.

Ironically, CPW could be one of the major beneficiaries of electricity company TrustPower's controversial plan, which would enable more water to be stored for irrigation on the plains, as well as electricity generation.

At a hearing yesterday before commissioners, CPW solicitor Rachel Dunningham said the company and trust had not been able to negotiate an agreement to use TrustPower's water.

CPW, potentially the Rakaia River's biggest user, was concerned it would have to pay for water that would otherwise have flowed down the river if the conservation order was not amended.

"Water which would have been released as part of TrustPower's normal operation and been available to be taken by irrigators in priority order could now be released as stored water for the benefit of just those on the [trustPower water-take] register and to the detriment of those not on the register," she said.

"[CPW's] key reservation ... is the uncertainty about how the proposal could affect users who are not able or willing to reach commercial agreements with TrustPower."

Dunningham said CPW would support the change if there was a guarantee that its consents would not be undermined.

In May 2010, CPW was granted consents for its run-of-river irrigation scheme. Those consents, and a notice of requirement to compulsorily acquire land for its headrace canal and distribution network, are still under appeal but most are close to resolution.

CPW's scheme was pared back after commissioners indicated in 2009 that they would not grant consent for a proposed reservoir in the Waianiwaniwa Valley.

CPW project manager Derek Crombie said at yesterday's hearing that because the proposed reservoir had been scrapped, water storage was needed to improve the scheme's reliability.

Lake Coleridge was "the most realistic medium-term prospect", he said.

Up to 50 million cubic metres of water from Lake Coleridge could be available for CPW's use, which would be used to irrigate 20,000 hectares of farmland.

Further Coleridge water could enable another 20,000ha to be irrigated, he said.

CPW consultant Ian McIndoe, a soil and water engineer, said it was unrealistic to draw hard conclusions about the proposed changes on CPW's reliability, but he highlighted some potential impacts.

Whitewater NZ vice-president Graeme Wilson said that based on the information provided by TrustPower, there appeared to be few major impacts above the Rakaia Gorge bridge.

TrustPower's proposal would include the construction of irrigation canals and power stations, which are expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

The proposed amendment is being heard by an Environment Canterbury-appointed panel under the same government legislation that sacked ECan councillors and replaced them with commissioners.

Under the act's provisions, ECan's recommendation to the environment minister on the water-conservation order amendments can be appealed to the High Court only on a point of law.

The hearing is scheduled to finish next Tuesday.

- © Fairfax NZ News


http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/6562807/Irrigator-battles-TrustPower

CPW, potentially the Rakaia River's biggest user, was concerned it would have to pay for water that would otherwise have flowed down the river if the conservation order was not amended.

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« Reply #10 on: June 19, 2012, 11:41:01 am »




Commissioner's death sets back water hearing

 
By Linda Clarke  June 19, 2012

Mid Canterbury farmers' hopes for more reliable irrigation water from the Rakaia River have been set back by a rehearing of TrustPower's application to amend the river's water conservation order.
 A new hearing is necessary because one of the three experts hearing the application has died.
TrustPower needs the conservation order amended so it can apply for resource consent to store water on behalf of irrigators and ultimately build a canal with several small hydro power stations.
The amendment application was adjourned earlier this year after hearing commissioner Mike Bowden became ill.
He died last month.
Commissioners Peter Salmon and Rau Kirikiri will now be joined by Andrew Fenemor in a new hearing of the application, due to start July 23.
Some 224 people made submissions for and against the application, many appearing personally before the hearing panel over the four weeks it met in February and March.
Supporters of TrustPower's plans say the project will bring vital irrigation and economic spinoffs to farmland north and south of the Rakaia River, while objectors say it will be the death of the river, considered one of the finest braided rivers in the world.
A pre-hearing meeting last week held a minute's silence for Mr Bowden, an experienced hearings commissioner.
Submitters were told it would be a new hearing and the panel could only take into account evidence it heard there, not at the previous hearing.
Submitters at the previous hearing will have to decide if they want to give evidence again.
Two weeks has been set aside for the new hearing, with a reserve week in August if necessary.
Environment Canterbury is organising the hearing and the commissioners will make a recommendation to Environment Minister Amy Adams, who has the final say.
Former Environment Minister Nick Smith, in Ashburton this month for a water forum, said too much water in Canterbury was drawn from aquifers, while the bulk of water was in the region's big alpine river systems.
 If there was no progress on storage, existing water rights could be pegged back "with consequences for farmers as well as the economy".
Mid Canterbury farmers and the district will be among the first to benefit if the amendment is allowed and TrustPower gets consent for the project.
 Water could be stored in Lake Coleridge on behalf of the Barrhill Chertsey Irrigation Company and released when irrigators were on restrictions because of low flows.
Reliability of water is important for farmers, who could switch from irrigating "just in case" to "just in time", said BCI chairman John Wright.
With confidence of water supply, farmers would intensify into high value seed crops, vegetable crops, intensive lamb finishing or dairying.
 

http://www.ashburtonguardian.co.nz/news/todays-news/7822-commissioners-death-sets-back-water-hearing.html
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« Reply #11 on: October 05, 2012, 11:17:01 am »



Lake Coleridge irrigation plan passes another hurdle
 
Updated at 6:32 am today
 
A proposal to use water stored in Lake Coleridge for farm irrigation as well as power generation, has passed another stage of the approval process.
 
Canterbury Regional Council has accepted a recommendation from hearing commissioners to amend a national conservation order on the Rakaia River, to allow the dual use of water from the lake.
 
It will pass the recommendation to the Environment Minister, who will make the final decision.
 
TrustPower applied for the conservation order amendment so it can adjust storage and flow restrictions to provide irrigation water from the lake during dry periods to supplement water taken directly from the river.

 
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/rural/117406/lake-coleridge-irrigation-plan-passes-another-hurdle

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« Reply #12 on: December 07, 2014, 05:22:37 pm »




Coleridge Power Station celebrates milestone
 
Sunday 7 Dec 2014 7:46 a.m.

It is 100 years since New Zealand's first state-owned power station was built.

Coleridge Power Station, nestled between Canterbury's Rakaia River and the Lake Coleridge, is holding an open day today as part of centenary celebrations this weekend.

Selwyn MP Amy Adams, Selwyn Mayor Kelvin Coe and about 2000 people are expected to turn up for the open day.

Coleridge Power Station was the Government's first state-owned hydro scheme.

It was built to supply power to Christchurch and as the station was constructed Lake Coleridge village sprung up.

Current owner Trustpower, which is listed on NZX, has produced a booklet to mark the Coleridge Power Station Centenary.

NZN

http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/coleridge-power-station-celebrates-milestone-2014120707#disqus_thread


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« Reply #13 on: December 09, 2014, 08:54:47 pm »

now im wondering how the irrigation scheme issue resolved >.>
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« Reply #14 on: December 10, 2014, 04:08:58 pm »

now im wondering how the irrigation scheme issue resolved >.>

Hi panther0, long time no C  Smiley

First, our hydro storage lakes are required to store water for irrigation use,
Quote
see http://www.cpwl.co.nz/scheme-development  In early 2013 the Government accepted Environment Canterbury’s recommendation to change the Water Conservation Order covering the Rakaia River that allows TrustPower to release water from Lake Coleridge for irrigation when the river is low, increasing the reliability of the water supply. The TrustPower proposal includes a canal along the north side of the Rakaia River that would link Lake Coleridge with the CPW scheme sometime in the future.


seems to me that the main concern is the Canterbury aquifer that feeds Christchurch city, and the fear that aquifer pollution from proliferation of largescale new dairying projects that have occurred over the last few years will destroy it's "pure " reputation. 


Read http://ecan.govt.nz/publications/Pages/dairy-effluent.aspx  and it's embedded links.


 
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« Reply #15 on: December 11, 2014, 08:07:42 am »

what are the fish  stocks like in the surrounding rivers.
I wouldn't even bother to try fishing any where around were I live. >.>
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« Reply #16 on: January 06, 2015, 05:55:20 am »


Lake Coleridge is close to Methven


We had a 6.4 quake centered on Methven this morning.
http://geonet.org.nz/quakes/region/newzealand/2015p012816




Is the Rakaia river running again?
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« Reply #17 on: January 28, 2015, 01:02:21 pm »

...lots of nice thought bubbles...would be more powerful than god if he could achieve all of them...the ACTUAL POLICY will make interesting reading Wink...unions be prepared to be disappointed.... Roll Eyes



Andrew Little focuses Labour's image on being the 'jobs party' in first major speech

Updated 1 hour ago11:39 AM Wednesday Jan 28, 2015

Labour leader Andrew Little has begun broadening Labour's image as as the "jobs party," not just a party for working labour, but for wealth-creating business, especially small business, and for those who want to be their own boss.

Small business - "the engine room of job growth" - would be a priority for Labour as it developed policy over the next two years.

He made the pledge this morning in his first state of the nation speech since being elected Labour leader in November.

He also said that addressing inequality would be a priority.


Small businesses were responsible for nearly a third of New Zealand's economy last year, and 41 per cent of jobs created last year were in firms with fewer that 20 employees.

The biggest long-term challenge for New Zealand was where the next generation of wealth creation would come from.

"Not because wealth creation is an end in itself but because a good quality of life for all of us needs strong economic performance.

"The truth is stark," he said. "Doing what we are doing today won't support the standard of living we as New Zealanders want in the future.

"As a country we need to do things differently. That is going to take courage.

"Government can provide some of the leadership to make a difference but nothing will change unless we are all in it together."

Besides small business, the three other issues he planned to give speeches on in the coming months were housing affordability, unlocking Auckland's gridlock to make it an internationally competitive city and developing a manufacturing sector fit for the 21st century.

He delivered his speech to a breakfast audience of business people, party activists and MPs at Auckland's Wynyard Quarter.

Mr Little was deliberately light on policy although he said the super fund would invest in promising local start-up firms, that zero-hour contracts would be banned, and he promised New Zealand would again have the lowest unemployment rate in the developed world as it had 10 years ago - it's ninth today at 5.4 per cent.

"When people have jobs, they have dignity, they have self-respect, and their families have the best future," he said.

"The Labour Party I lead is about jobs, good jobs, skilled jobs, well-paid jobs. That's what a good fair and wealthy society is based on and that's what Labour stands for."

Last December in his first major speech outside Parliament Mr Little announced that finance spokesman Grant Robertson would head a Future of Work Commission to look at the changing nature of work.

Today he said there were huge opportunities for the economy in having a stronger small business sector - "in having more businesses that are nimble, flexible and innovative."

He promised less red tape and fewer hurdles for people wanting to start their own business.

Mr Little also focused on inequality. He referred to an OECD report of last year that concluded that income inequality from 1985 to 2005 had knocked 10 percentage points off New Zealand's growth.

"It's a vicious circle; more inequality, slower growth, more inequality.

"We have to break that cycle if we want to succeed."

Right now many New Zealanders did not have a good enough quality of life and the number of children living in poverty had increased by 20,000 since National came to power in 2008.

"Those children would fill 95 primary school halls and 40 per cent of them come from working families."

Mr Little drew on his experience as a former EPMU union boss and positive dealings he had had with Air New Zealand and Fonterra to accentuate his connection with business.

In 2005 the EPMU had worked closely with Air New Zealand to find a way to keep engineering jobs in New Zealand that were heading overseas, and they kept 300 in New Zealand and Air New Zealand benefited from productivity gains.

"As a union leader, I was always conscious that wealth had to be created first before it could be shared," he said.

During his time as national secretary, Fonterra embarked on a project to increase the productivity of their plant and machinery.

They had realised that for every 1 per cent increase in time that their plant was operational, they could add $100 million to their bottom line.

"The upshot was they gave frontline maintenance engineers more responsibility and they increased the incomes of those workers. /the jobs were actually more satisfying at the end of it."

Too often the Government saw work as transactional, as though hiring people was like buying or selling a product.

"Well it's not. At its best, like it was at Fonterra, it's about shared purpose.

"That's the philosophy we need to bring to Government."

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Mr Little would not be drawn on changes to Labour policies that small businesses might oppose such as abolishing the 90-day trial period for new workers and increasing the minimum wage.

There was three years to the election and all policies would be reviewed by the party in time.

His speech was about setting direction.

- NZ Herald


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