Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is publicly notifying 151 applications for water takes in the Twyford / Raupare area. A listing of all these applications is being published in Hawke’s Bay Today on Saturday 30 January. Most of the applications are to replace existing consents that expired in 2009, but there are also 11 applications for new takes. These are being publicly notified to meet requirements of the Resource Management Act 1991. Most of the applications are for irrigation of orchards and crops, and 140 of these takes are from wells that are potentially stream depleting either the Ngaruroro River or Raupare Stream (a tributary of the Clive River) and 11 are directly from the Raupare Stream (or its tributaries). An assessment of the effects of these takes has been prepared, and this identifies a risk of flow depletion on either the Ngaruroro River or the Raupare Stream. Submissions on these applications are open until 26 February. If a hearing is required it is likely to be in May or June this year. |