Zone Name:	Kaikoura - Kowhai	Current Status:	(White)
Allocation Limit:	10.1 million m3/yr	Valid date:	23rd January 2004
Order of Approach:	First (15% of average annual rainfall) + additional information

Recharge component

Method of estimation

Background notes

A groundwater balance including river recharge has been estimated for the Kaikoura Plains based on limited data and is therefore subject to error (Sheppard, 1995). While the allocation limit indicates that there is potential for further use of the groundwater resource, stream depletion, well interference and saltwater intrusion issues need to be considered.

Other available information sources

These reports may be used to provide a full description of groundwater resources in this area. They may include information that will be of use in a consent application, but are not necessarily a comprehensive list.

• Aitchison-Earl, P., Davey, G., Ettema, M., McKerchar, A., Scott, D., Smith, E., and Weeber, J. 'State of the Canterbury Region Water Resource October 2004' (pdf 3.83 MB) , U04/101
• Brown, L. J. 2001: Groundwaters of the Canterbury Region. Environment Canterbury Technical Report R00/10.
• Aitchison-Earl, P., Scott, D., Sanders, R., 'Groundwater Allocation Limits: Guidelines for the Canterbury Region' (pdf 973 kB) January 2004 Report U04/02.
• Sheppard, G. M. 1995: The hydrogeology of the Kaikoura Plains, North Canterbury, New Zealand. MSc Thesis University of Canterbury.

Allocation history

Effective allocation

6 July 2009

Effective allocation (million m³): 1.88
Reason for change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion allocated: 10%

5 December 2006

Effective allocation (million m³): 1.80
Reason for change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion allocated: 9.4%

18 September 2006

Effective allocation (million m³): 1.8
Reason for change: Consents update
Source: Consents database live-read
Proportion allocated: 9.0%

23 January 2004

Effective allocation (million m³): 1.0
Reason for change: This is the first estimate made
Source: Report U04/02 (Table 6.2)
Proportion allocated: 5.0%

Allocation limit

18 July 2011

Allocation limit (million m³): 10.1
Reason for change: The allocation limit has been changed as a result of a Minor Change to the NRRP to correct a labelling error. The error originally occurred in Environment Canterbury Unpublished Report U04/97 “Groundwater Allocation Limits: Land-based recharge estimates”, and has subsequently been repeated in later documents, including Variation 4 of NRRP. The mis-labelling error has meant that the allocation limits for the two groundwater allocation zones in the Kaikoura area – Kaikoura-Mt Fyffe and Kaikoura-Kowhai have each been linked to the wrong zone. The allocation limit for the Kaikoura-Kowhai Zone has been attributed to the Kaikoura-Mt Fyffe Zone and vica versa. The allocation limit has now been updated to correct this. The technical basis for the limit remains unchanged. This is the first estimate made using the 1st Order Approach, and includes an additional 3.7 million m³/yr recharge from intermittent streams.
Source: Report U04/02 (Table 6.2)

23 January 2004

Allocation limit (million m³): 19.2
Reason for change: This is the first estimate made using the 1st Order Approach, and includes an additional 3.7 million m³/yr recharge from intermittent streams.
Source: Report U04/02 (Table 6.2)