Water bid `greedy'

RICHARD EDMONDSON

ENVIRONMENTALISTS are calling a Kaitaia dairy farm's plans to take large volumes of water from the Aupouri aquifer and Awanui River greedy and unsustainable.

Landcorp and Te Rarawa Runanga are seeking a resource consent to take up to 31,075 cubic metres of water a day from the 430 square kilometre aquifer to irrigate the 2246-hectare Sweetwater Station.

The volume of groundwater sought is more than six times greater than the 5000 cubic metres a day the Far North District Council is seeking for its Kaitaia water supply.

Landcorp and the runanga have also applied for a consent to take up to 11,195 cubic metres of water a day from the Awanui River – more than double the 5000 cubic metres the council is permitted to draw.

They say the water is needed to sustain pasture growth and allow the sheep, beef and dairy station to expand milk production from 1400 cows to up to 3220 cows in the next five years.

Far North Environment Centre co-ordinator Richard Robbins says the groundwater take might affect farms and households that rely on the aquifer which extends from Awanui to Ngataki.

"Depending on how and where the water is drawn, you can get seawater inundating the aquifer."

Taking large amounts of water from the aquifer could also damage the environment.

"If you lower the water table significantly the whole ecosystem will break down."

Mr Robbins questions whether it is sustainable to farm dairy cows on light soils that need to be irrigated and fertilised for milk production.

"I'm not an expert on dairy farming, but if you have to put in those inputs it's not sustainable."

The centre plans to lodge a submission to the consent applications. It encourages people who share its concerns to make a submission before the deadline on Friday.

"We will be asking for a much lower volume of water."

Bushland Trust chairman Kevin Matthews says the water take may result in lower flows of freshwater to Ninety Mile Beach shellfish that feed on phytoplankton nourished by seepage from dune lakes.

"We've already seen a decrease in the availability of water along the beach. That can be attributed to water takes and the draining of wetlands."

He also worries about fertiliser runoff polluting Sweetwater lakes the trust is restoring. "Those soils are extremely permeable. There is a lot of lateral movement of nutrient that flows towards the dune lakes."

He plans to lodge a submission opposing the application.

"Basically, I think it's greedy."

Landcorp national business manager Graeme Mulligan says the water take will give surety to milk production and job security to the farm's 12 permanent workers.

"You don't make money in a drought year, so water is a critical component for making sure everything is profitable and sustainable.’’

Environmental engineers Sinclair Knight Merz have provided a large amount of data to the council arguing that the proposed water takes will not result in adverse environmental effects.

‘‘We’re confident with the material that has been posted.’’

Farming dairy cows on sandy soils is a permitted activity and the farm’s dairy units comply with regional council effluent management standards, says Mr Mulligan.

‘‘We’re running nitrogen and nutrient budgets all the time.’’

Te Rarawa Runanga supports the application because the farm will form part of its Treaty of Waitangi settlement package with the Crown.

The runanga was invited to comment but did not respond by our newspaper publication time.

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