March 6, 2026
Two more stockwater intakes have been signalled for closure in Mid Canterbury.
The Limestone Creek and Alford Forest intakes are now designated for closure on June 30, pending approval from the Ashburton District Council after the Stockwater Transition Working Group made the recommendations on Wednesday.
The Ashburton District Council is working to exit the stockwater service delivery of its 17 remaining intakes by June 30, 2027.
The first decision was made by the council in December, with the partial closure of the Pudding Hill race network from its connections to Mt Harding Creek at Scarness gate and Drayton’s gate.
The word closure only refers to the water source being turned off.
It will have two more to consider, likely at its March 18 meeting.
The Alford Forrest intake recommendation carries plenty of complexity.
It was noted the 14 properties along the 16.7km race network are not paying stockwater rates, so they don’t need alternative supply.
The biggest complication is the intake source is spring-fed, so when the council closes the intake, the water will continue to flow.
The recommendation is to stop managing the intake and network from June 30 and continue to investigate how and who will manage the natural flows, seeking a resolution before June 30, 2027.
If no alternative option can be found, the council will revert back to plan A, to divert the spring water down an existing stormwater drain.
One alternative already put forward came from local farmer Daniel Symons, who requests transferring the intake and network to him to feed into a planned 1.9 hectare wetland on one of his two properties in the area.
In his submission he stated he “would be happy to obtain any necessary resource consents” to achieve his wetland plan using the existing intake and network.
ECan’s water and land team leader Marcelo Wibmer said that would be a change of use to the current consent, which is for stockwater.
“Our current plan will not allow for that."
Plan change 8, paused by a Government order to stop work on all plan changes, would deal with that issue, he said.
It touched on a wider, unresolved issue with the stockwater exit around changing the water use from stockwater to environmental and amenity flows without a new consent process, something the council and ECan are poised to discuss.
In comparison, the Limestone Creek – which has had an intake for an estimated 125 years - recommendation was a simple process.
The 9.2km total race only services five properties, two that stated they needed alternative suppliers.
Consultant John Wright updated the meeting that one was already a Barhill Chertsey Irrigation (BCI) shareholder already and the other has easy access to the BCI piped network “and was happy to come to a private arrangement with BCI for delivery”.
The recommendation is to close the intake and race network from the intake on Limestone Creek, to its terminal discharge points into the Montalto Hinds stockwater main on June 30.
The meeting also addressed a joint letter from the five water entities – including three irrigation schemes MHV Water (Mayfield Hinds Valetta Irrigation), Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Limited (ALIL) and BCI - as well as Rangitata Diversion Race Management Ltd (RDRML) and Hekeao / Hinds Water Enhancement Trust.
MHV Water chief executive Andrew Mockford said letter was “an expression of intent” about their willingness to assist council in their exit from stockwater services.
He said under the exit, and transition to alternative suppliers, it needed consideration on how the “secondary benefits” such as amenity value and environmental flow are factored into the funding model.
Mockford said there are a lot of consents involved that will be up for renewal, and if they could be grouped into one consent under the RMA changes.
By Jonathan Leask
Two more stockwater intakes have been signalled for closure in Mid Canterbury.
The Limestone Creek and Alford Forest intakes are now designated for closure on June 30, pending approval from the Ashburton District Council after the Stockwater Transition Working Group made the recommendations on Wednesday.
The Ashburton District Council is working to exit the stockwater service delivery of its 17 remaining intakes by June 30, 2027.
The first decision was made by the council in December, with the partial closure of the Pudding Hill race network from its connections to Mt Harding Creek at Scarness gate and Drayton’s gate.
The word closure only refers to the water source being turned off.
It will have two more to consider, likely at its March 18 meeting.
The Alford Forrest intake recommendation carries plenty of complexity.
It was noted the 14 properties along the 16.7km race network are not paying stockwater rates, so they don’t need alternative supply.
The biggest complication is the intake source is spring-fed, so when the council closes the intake, the water will continue to flow.
The recommendation is to stop managing the intake and network from June 30 and continue to investigate how and who will manage the natural flows, seeking a resolution before June 30, 2027.
If no alternative option can be found, the council will revert back to plan A, to divert the spring water down an existing stormwater drain.
One alternative already put forward came from local farmer Daniel Symons, who requests transferring the intake and network to him to feed into a planned 1.9 hectare wetland on one of his two properties in the area.
In his submission he stated he “would be happy to obtain any necessary resource consents” to achieve his wetland plan using the existing intake and network.
ECan’s water and land team leader Marcelo Wibmer said that would be a change of use to the current consent, which is for stockwater.
“Our current plan will not allow for that."
Plan change 8, paused by a Government order to stop work on all plan changes, would deal with that issue, he said.
It touched on a wider, unresolved issue with the stockwater exit around changing the water use from stockwater to environmental and amenity flows without a new consent process, something the council and ECan are poised to discuss.
In comparison, the Limestone Creek – which has had an intake for an estimated 125 years - recommendation was a simple process.
The 9.2km total race only services five properties, two that stated they needed alternative suppliers.
Consultant John Wright updated the meeting that one was already a Barhill Chertsey Irrigation (BCI) shareholder already and the other has easy access to the BCI piped network “and was happy to come to a private arrangement with BCI for delivery”.
The recommendation is to close the intake and race network from the intake on Limestone Creek, to its terminal discharge points into the Montalto Hinds stockwater main on June 30.
The meeting also addressed a joint letter from the five water entities – including three irrigation schemes MHV Water (Mayfield Hinds Valetta Irrigation), Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Limited (ALIL) and BCI - as well as Rangitata Diversion Race Management Ltd (RDRML) and Hekeao / Hinds Water Enhancement Trust.
MHV Water chief executive Andrew Mockford said letter was “an expression of intent” about their willingness to assist council in their exit from stockwater services.
He said under the exit, and transition to alternative suppliers, it needed consideration on how the “secondary benefits” such as amenity value and environmental flow are factored into the funding model.
Mockford said there are a lot of consents involved that will be up for renewal, and if they could be grouped into one consent under the RMA changes.
By Jonathan Leask
