Policy 5-14: Overall approach for surface water^ allocation

  1. The requirements of water conservation orders^ must be given effect under this Plan.
  2. Takes and flow regimes lawfully established for hydroelectricity generation as at 31 May 2007 must be provided for prior to implementing (c) and (d) below.
  3. Core allocations of surface water^ from rivers^ must be determined in accordance with Policies 5-15 and 5-16. Takes that comply with the relevant core allocation, when assessed in combination with all other takes, must be allowed.
  4. Supplementary allocations of surface water^ from rivers^ must be determined in accordance with Policy 5-17.
  5. Takes from rivers^ must be apportioned, restricted or suspended when river^ flows are at or below their minimum flows in accordance with the provisions of Policy 5-18.
  6. Takes of water^ from lakes^ must comply with Policy 5-19.

Policy 5-15: Core allocations and minimum flows
  1. The taking of water^ from rivers^ must be managed in accordance with the minimum flows and cumulative core allocations set out in Schedule C.
  2. The minimum flows and cumulative core allocations set out in Schedule C must be set after providing for any takes and flow regimes lawfully established for hydroelectricity generation as at 31 May 2007.

Policy 5-16: Approach to setting minimum flows and core allocations
  1. Where good hydrological information, such as a specific water^ resource study or a long-term flow record, is available it must be used to set minimum flows and core allocations in Schedule C.
  2. Where information described in (a) above is not available, the minimum flows and core allocations set out in Schedule C must generally be a minimum flow equal to the estimated or calculated one-day mean annual low flow, and a core allocation equal to a percentage of the minimum as specified in Schedule C.
  3. The setting of a revised minimum flow or core allocation that is an alternative to that set in Schedule C must occur through a plan change process.

Policy 5-17: Supplementary water^ allocation

In addition to the core allocations set out in Policy 5-15, a supplementary allocation from rivers^ may be provided:
  1. in circumstances where water^ is only taken when the river^ flow is greater than the median flow, and the total amount of water^ taken by way of a supplementary allocation does not exceed 10% of the actual flow in the river^ at the time of abstraction, and
  2. in circumstances where it can be shown that the supplementary allocation will not:
    1. increase the frequency or duration of minimum flows
    2. lead to a significant departure from the natural flow regime, including the magnitude of the median flow and the frequency of flushing flows
    3. cause any adverse effects^ that are more than minor on the Schedule B Values of the water body^ or its bed^
    4. limit the ability of anyone to take water^ under a core allocation
    5. derogate from water^ allocated to hydroelectricity generation.

Policy 5-18: Apportioning, restricting and suspending takes in times of minimum flow

When a river^ is at or below its minimum flow, takes from it must be managed in the following manner:
  1. Permitted takes - Takes that are permitted by this Plan (surface water^ and groundwater takes) or are for fire-fighting purposes must be allowed to continue regardless of river^ flow.
  2. Existing hydroelectricity generation takes - must be allowed to continue subject only to any minimum flow restrictions specified in their consent conditions^.
  3. Supplementary takes - must cease at a flow specified in their consent conditions^ and that cessation flow must be higher than the Schedule C minimum flow such that the requirements of Policy 5-17(b)(i) are met.
  4. Essential takes - The following core water^ allocation takes are deemed essential and must be managed in the manner described:
    1. takes greater than permitted by this Plan (and therefore subject to resource consent^) that are required for reasonable domestic needs, reasonable needs of animals for drinking water^, and reasonable dairy shed washdown water^ must be allowed to continue regardless of river^ flow, but must not exceed:
      1. up to 250 litres per person per day for domestic needs
      2. up to 70 litres per animal per day for drinking water^
      3. up to 70 litres per animal per day for dairy shed washdown
    2. takes required to meet the reasonable needs of hospitals, other facilities providing medical treatment, marae, schools or other education facilities, New Zealand Defence Force facilities or correction facilities must be allowed to continue regardless of river^ flow, but must be required to minimise the amount of water^ taken to the extent reasonably practicable
    3. takes which were lawfully established at the time of Plan notification (31 May 2007) required for industries which, if their take were to cease, would significantly compromise a community’s ability to provide for its social, economic or cultural wellbeing or for its health or safety (including the hygienic production and processing of perishable food), must be allowed to continue regardless of river^ flow, but must be required to minimise the amount of water^ taken to the extent reasonably practicable
    4. public water supply* takes must be restricted to a total public water^ consumption calculated as follows:
      1. an allocation of 250 litres per person per day for domestic needs, plus
      2. an allocation for commercial use equal to 20% of the total allocation for domestic needs, plus
      3. an allocation which meets the reasonable needs of those facilities and industries listed under (d)(ii) and (d)(iii) where such facilities and industries are connected to the public water supply* system, plus
      4. any allocation necessary to cater for the reasonable needs of animals that are supplied by the public water supply* system, plus
      5. an allocation for leakage equal to 15% of the total of (A) to (D) above.
  5. Non-essential takes - Other core water^ allocation takes, including irrigation takes but excluding the essential takes described under (d), must be managed in the following manner:
    1. water^ takes must be required to cease when the river^ is at or below its minimum flow, as set out in Policy 5-15
    2. water^ takes must be allowed to recommence once the river^ flow has risen above its minimum flow.
  6. Meaning of “core water^ allocation take” - For the purposes of this policy, a core water^ allocation take means a take that has been granted consent in accordance with a core allocation made under Policy 5-15, or in accordance with a previous core allocation regime.

Policy 5-19: Surface water^ allocation - lakes^

Decisions on resource consent^ applications to take water^ from a lake^ must ensure that there are no significant adverse effects^ on the Schedule B Values of the lake^ and have regard to the policies for indigenous biological diversity^ in Chapter 13.