Hurunui Water Project
News
2 February 2010: HWP has re-activated its resource consent applications for Hurunui water (Resource consent requests reactivated, David Williams, 2 February 2010)
15 October 2009: Hurunui Water Project announces consent applications will be placed on hold for a year to allow the Canterbury Water Management Strategy process to try and resolve issues surrounding the scheme. (Press, 15 October 2009).
Your support is needed
We need you to oppose Hurunui Water Project's application and urge you to make a submission in opposition. There is further background on the HWP, which may help you with your submission.
Submissions must be made on or before 5.00 pm Friday 11 September 2009.
In your submission, please state:
- Your opposition to the dams (and therefore the HWP application)
- The reasons for your views
- That you want ECAN to decline all the consents sought by HWP.
You do not need to write large amounts but you should state the key reasons why you oppose the project, e.g., that the dams will affect the natural flows in the Hurunui which will reduce your enjoyment of the Hurunui and the existing natural environment, etc.
- Submission form (Word, 39KB) or Submission form (PDF, 85KB)
- Background: Large Scale Irrigation Proposal by the Hurunui Water Project, August 2009, Doug Rankin
Please send the completed submission form to
Overview
The Hurunui Water Project (HWP, previously known as the Hurunui Community Water Development Project) proposes a weir at the outlet of Lake Sumner, and a 75m high dam on the South Branch of the Hurunui. This would affect flows on all sections of the Hurunui river. Up to 32cu would be removed from the Hurunui above Mandamus for irrigation.
This project has been lodged since the application by Whitewater NZ and Fish & Game for a Water Conservation Order on the Hurunui River.
In preliminary feedback on the scheme, Whitewater NZ (then NZRCA) noted:
- The Hurunui River is one of the most utilised white water kayaking rivers in the South Island, particularly for Canterbury kayakers;
- The river is characterised by a fairly dynamic flow, with the different flows producing substantial differences in the canoeing experience;
- We have concern that any smoothing of the natural flow would have detrimental effects on the river ecology, especially the potential build-up of Didymo and the build-up of algae in the river bed;
- We noted that there are multiple sections on the Hurunui River that have whitewater value.
Resources
- Submission form (Word, 39KB) or Submission form (PDF, 85KB)
- Background: Large Scale Irrigation Proposal by the Hurunui Water Project, August 2009, Doug Rankin
- HWP: Appendix J: Recreation Assessment of Effects (PDF, 1.4MB), June 2009, Greenaway
- HWP: Resource Consent Application and Assessment of Environmental Effects (PDF, 3.1MB), 17 June 2009, Sinclair Knight Merz
- Consent Application, ECAN - search for 'Hurunui'
- ECAN Resource consent notice to Whitewater CC (PDF, 460KB) - includes location plan, 20 July 2009
- Robin Rutter-Baumann of WWCC, 23 July 2009, Radio NZ, audio
- Irrigation project 'outrageous', 23 July 2009, Stuff.co.nz
- Whitewater NZ Media Release: Hurunui Water Project will destroy natural flows (PDF, 93KB), 22 July 2009
- Whitewater Canoe Club Press Release (PDF, 69KB)
- NZRCA response to HWP Pre-feasibility enquiry, May 2006 (PDF, 98KB)
Submissions due 11 September.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 ECAN_notice_to_WWCC_0965_001.pdf | 460.64 KB |
| NZRCA_Hurunui_Water_Project_May_2006.pdf | 98.1 KB |
| WWCC_Press_Release_20090722.pdf | 69.34 KB |
| HWP_Application_Assessment_of_Environmental_Effects.pdf | 3.12 MB |
| HWP_Recreation_Assessment_of_Effects.pdf | 1.37 MB |
 Submission_form_HWP_v3_final_170809.doc | 38.5 KB |
| Submission_form_HWP_v3_final_170809.pdf | 85.39 KB |
