243 water sites whittled to nine

At least some of the nine remaining sites earmarked as water storage ponds under the proposed Wairarapa Water Use Project are likely to fall by the wayside as pre-feasibility studies draw to a close.

That has been confirmed by chairwoman of the project's leadership group Fran Wilde, but no determination has yet been made on how many storage sites are likely to stay in the mix.

When the idea for the huge water-use project, which has the potential to irrigate 66,000ha of Wairarapa Valley by collecting and storing water for distribution, was first mooted 243 sites were carded but that has been systemically slashed to just nine.

Those are situated at Martinborough South, White Rock Rd, Mangaterere, Black Creek, Kiriwhakapapa, Te Mara, Mauriceville West, Dorset's Rd and Te Ore Ore. Ms Wilde said once pre-feasibility studies were finished some time next year it was likely the nine sites would reduce.

However, she said claims that only three sites were now in the mix were not correct.

She said at the start "just about every hollow in the ground" was an option for a storage site.

"But we quickly knocked them down from 243 to nine and we are likely to knock out more," she said.

Of the nine identified sites the Mauriceville West proposal has drawn the most fire from the community with claims the small storage area would interfere with road access and isolate a church and graveyard.

It is also claimed the likely benefits from the Mauriceville West site would be minimal for farmers.

The water-use project is years away from fruition in any event with next year's pre-feasibility results being followed up with a detailed feasibility study.

That would explore such major issues as likely costs and environmental impacts.

Ms Wilde said environmental issues were "critical".

"We certainly don't want anything that will damage the environment."

A plus for research into the water-use project was the fact the Greater Wellington Regional Council was preparing its new regional plan in tandem.

Ms Wilde said much more was already known about the hydrology of Wairarapa than had been the case when the project was mooted.

She said the costs of investigation work were being 50 per cent funded by central government, but once the project advanced to the resource consent stage that would cease and the tab would be picked up by ratepayers.

It would be 2015 before resource consents would be sought and should the project proceed it would "in reality" be done in stages.

'There is no way it could all be done at once," Ms Wilde said.

The water-use project was prompted by the 1997/98 drought that led to a central government-funded research project and the formation of the Wairarapa Regional Irrigation Trust.