The purpose of Variation 9 is to review the minimum flows set under individual consents for the rivers and streams that flow into the Wainono Lagoon. It was prepared between the period of 2005 to 2007 and has been developed to take into account the needs of both in stream values and the needs and requirements of irrigators.
Variation 9 was notified for submissions on 25 August 2007. Submissions closed on 5 October 2007. 23 Submissions were received.
As required under the first schedule to the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), a summary of decisions requested was notified on 26 January 2008. Submissions closed on 29 February 2008. Five further submissions were received.
A review of the Variation occurred between 2010 and 2011, noting the following issues:
- Consents to take water: consents which should have been included in A allocation blocks within the catchment were omitted;
- Summary of decisions requested: two decisions requested in submissions on Variation 9 were omitted from the summary of decisions requested and one decision was incorrectly recorded;
- Scope of Variation: a number of catchments within the area covered by Variation 9 were either not assessed, or partly assessed; and
- Consistency within the Variation: There are two discrepancies between the written summary and the table summary in the Variation.
A decision has been made that a full technical review was required to ensure that the Variation is still relevant to the catchment and community alike.
A meeting was held on the 24th August 2011, with the submitters on the Variation to discuss the issues and review. It was agreed more work was required on the Variation and council staff and submitters with the wider community, would meet in early 2012 to discuss the outcomes and impacts of the review.
It is anticipated that the notified Variation will be withdrawn and at the same time replaced with a reviewed flow and allocation regime for the Wainono Lagoon area.