Setting the limits in Greater WellingtonWairarapa water users

Current Wairarapa situation• Who is WWUIS?• Wairarapa wants more water • New water reliant on storage• Current supply not over allocated• Water use for dairies being modelled rather than measured• Water quality good generally• Lake Wairarapa ingoing water being improved

Process• Involved in plan review for last 2 years

• Have a working document for discussion

• Collaborative process

• Seeking interim feedback from GW at present

• 1st draft due sept/oct this year

• Proposed plan due early next year

Parallel Process• Ruamahanga whaitua (zone) committee recently set up

• 1st for region

• Good community representation

• Will recommend agreed program to regional council

• Whaitua is critical contact point for next 2 years

• Regional governance also being reviewed

Whaitua catchments

Limits• Minimum flows and allocation limits set on all waterways (2 altered but

may be reversed)

• No new allocations on shallow aquifers

• Minimum flows could change

• Subdivision water allocation rules proposed to be altered

• Proposed quality objectives for outcomes in disc document

• Values for different water bodies being developed

Participants• Agri group set up to improve plan input

• Have had good support from fed farmers, fonterra, dairynz , irrignz, hortnz and pork council

• Staying engaged with all parties

• Starting to get to serious end

• Will need more scientific support

• Greater wellington regional council show a real willingness to do process well

Using Water well• Have hosted irrignz managers course

• Ran good water use field day

• Trying to improve public perception of irrigators

• Seems Wellington city view of our water use not so good

• Perception will determine limits placed on allocation

It’s a start!!!

70 people attend field day