Board to continue water rights fight

Tasman Mayor Richard Kempthorne is surprised the Motueka Community Board has decided to push forward with its appeal to the Environment Court over the Tasman District Council's water allocation that takes water from the Motueka aquifer to service water-poor coastal areas.

The mayor and council managers met the board on Monday evening in a last-ditch effort to get the board to drop the appeal.

Afterwards, he said the meeting was a good one and he believed "it helped clarify some of the issues and perhaps general misconceptions" around water-management issues.

So he was disappointed to hear that the board, after its monthly meeting on Tuesday night, decided to proceed with the appeal.

The board contends that the council has not adequately considered the long-term water needs of Motueka, an allegation the council disputes.

"Our opposition is based on the long-term needs of the Motueka population over the next 50 years, based on population growth and industrial growth," said Motueka Community Board chairman David Ogilvie.

Mr Kempthorne said he was "surprised" the board was proceeding with the appeal "because the grounds for their appeal are quite weak".

"Some of the accusations about what the council is doing are woefully incorrect. It is clear there is some misunderstanding in the community about what the council is trying to do, but I'm not surprised, because water allocations are a controversial issue," he said.

He wouldn't speculate on how much the council would need to spend to defend the appeal, but said that in general, "once you get into appeals in the Environment Court, you are talking about potentially tens of thousands of dollars".

The community board has set up a bank account so the public can help support the costs of the appeal. The Motueka Community Water Appeal account will also function as a measure of the support of the community for the appeal, said board member Tara Forde. "We've had quite a few people promise us money. If people do see it as helpful and a way to help reduce their longer-term rates, I hope they'll support us."

She questioned the need for the water to be piped to coastal areas and rural developments, which is where the council foresees considerable growth.

Citing developer Chris Edmonds, who told The Nelson Mail he opposed the proposed coastal pipeline, which he said would add $12,000 per house to the cost of developing rural three properties, she asked: "Why allocate the water if no-one is prepared to pay for it?"

Ms Forde said the council's assurances that there was sufficient water to both service water-poor areas and account for Motueka's future needs should be assessed by an independent arbitrator. "We're sick of the council acting as both applicant and decider."

Mr Ogilvie said: "None of us likes to be in this position, but we feel we have to do what we have to do for the community we represent."

- © Fairfax NZ News

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