Kyeburn Catchment: Collaboration key to gaining new global water consent

Kyeburn Catchment Ltd director Hamish McKenzie speaks at the Irrigation New Zealand conference last week. Kyeburn Catchment Ltd irrigators have spent about $600,000 working towards a new global water consent, they estimate.

News of a $600,000 cost to Kyeburn irrigators for getting a new global water consent was one of the big things discussed at last week's three-day Irrigation New Zealand conference in Alexandra. Pam Jones looks at what is happening in the Kyeburn catchment.

In a region where water is gold and nothing happens without irrigation, a collaborative effort in Maniototo between Kyeburn irrigators shows co-operation is key, those attending last week's Irrigation New Zealand conference heard.

Kyeburn Catchment Ltd (KCL) is close to securing a new global consent for its 15 users, having been through a mediation process, following an appeal from Otago Fish and Game, to a consent agreed by the Otago Regional Council (ORC).

KCL director Hamish McKenzie said he hoped the new 35-year consent would be issued soon, but it had been an expensive process for the group, which was formed about 15 years ago.

During his presentation to the conference in Alexandra on Wednesday, he estimated the consent process had cost the group about $600,000, and he referred to the cost again during a question and answer session after his presentation.

Asked what the group would do if it had its time again and could do anything differently, he joked "Give Fish and Game $600,000 and say 'sign here'.''

The new global consent will replace historic individual permits which expire in 2021, as do all other historic Central Otago water rights originally established through gold-mining rights in the 19th century.

Mr McKenzie said the 15 users in the Kyeburn group had decided on a ``sharing regime'' and, even though that had presented challenges, the collaborative approach was vital to success, and he recommended it to other catchments.

This season, even though still being governed by the existing ORC water rules, KCL had already implemented its new sharing regime, so irrigators could ``get a clear picture'' of their responsibilities, Mr McKenzie said.

The group has also voluntarily developed and adopted a freshwater protection policy, to protect native galaxiids in the catchment.