FAQs

Horizons records and processes a range of information about water in our region. This data feeds into research that helps us understand trends and track progress and risk over time.
 
One way we do this is via our water metering programme. This programme collects data via industry reporting and telemetry units attached to flow meters, which are conditions of some water-take resource consents.

Managing our region’s water use is one way to ensure we achieve our community outcomes of healthy ecosystems and a thriving economy.
 
It’s a delicate balance between managing our community’s desire to use water resources for commercial purposes, such as water supply, industry, and primary production, which support the regional economy, and our responsibility to sustain them for healthy habitats and recreational use.

We have been monitoring water use activity at sites across the region since 2003.

Resource consent holders taking over five litres per second (l/s) are subject to monitoring as a condition of their consent. A very small number of consent holders taking under 5 l/s are also subject to specific conditions on their consent.
 

Most water-take consent holders who are subject to monitoring conditions are required to have a telemetry unit fitted to a flow meter on their water-take system.
 
Consent holders are responsible for installing and maintaining the flow meter/s to their water take system. Horizons endorses the use of Irrigation New Zealand ‘Blue Tick’ accredited suppliers for this work. The Horizons Environmental Data team will then connect a telemetry unit to the flow meter. The telemetry units automatically return data measured by the flow meter back to Horizons via the Horizons network.

Horizons Environmental Data team supplies, installs, and maintains these telemetry units across the region. This enables Horizons to verify the water-use data and ensure the units operate properly.

Resource consent holders can access their data online via the WaterMatters tool on the Horizons website. The data helps consent holders:
 

• Comply with their resource consent conditions
• Identify leaks in their water infrastructure and improve water efficiency

 
In addition, Horizons’ technicians are on-site, inspecting our telemetry units and validating the data to ensure it is robust and fit for purpose.
 

You can view water-use data at envirodata.horizons.govt.nz.

From the WaterMatters section of the Horizons website you can view general water use information such as where flow restrictions are occurring and how actual water use compares to the amount of water consented.
 
Consent holders can look up more specific water use information.

The region’s water-use data is collected, validated and processed according to requirements under the Resource Management Act (Measurement and Reporting of Water Takes) Regulations 2010 and National Environmental Monitoring Standards.
 
These robust data sets help inform Council decisions about water allocation, resource availability, and wider catchment health.

Until 2024, the programme was funded via a combination of Horizons’ general rate (70%) and Section 36 charges (30%).

However, through the 2024-34 Long Term Plan, the Council consulted on and voted to move to a 100% user-pays model, bringing this service in line with our other consent monitoring charges. These charges are listed on page 328 of Horizons Long Term Plan 2024-34.

 

The change brings this service in line with our other consent monitoring charges.
 
The charge will cover the costs of running Horizons’ water metering programme, including flow meter validation visits, fault repairs, industry engagement, telemetry and data management associated with water take/s.

 

From the 2024-25 financial year, an annual charge of $750 + GST will apply to each resource consent associated with a water-take or takes over 5 l/s. A small number of consent holders taking under 5 l/s will also need to pay the charge.
 
The charge is in addition to existing Section 36 charges for surface and groundwater takes.
 

If you wish to surrender a water take consent, please get in touch with us via email  Section36Enquiries@horizons.govt.nz or HRCRegulatoryAdmin@horizons.govt.nz or phone 0508 800 800

When selling or transferring ownership of a property it is important to ensure any resource consent details are also transferred.

To arrange this, email us on Section36Enquiries@horizons.govt.nz  HRCRegulatoryAdmin@horizons.govt.nz
or phone 0508 800 800