Waimea Community Dam approved
Independent Commissioners have granted consents to the Waimea Community Dam in Tasman District. The project involves the construction of a concrete faced rockfill dam that will enable water to be stored in a reservoir with a capacity of 40 million cubic metres. Water will then be released downstream to augment flows in order to satisfy instream needs (primarily in Wairoa and Waimea Rivers) and recharge the Waimea Plains groundwater system. The project aims to provide a 60 year security of supply for water users and address current over-allocation issues in the region.
The Waimea Water Augmentation Committee (WWAC) was set up to investigate options to address the water issues of the Waimea Plains and includes representatives of water user committees, the Department of Conservation, Fish and Game, iwi, Tasman District Council and Nelson City Council. Waimea Community Dam Limited (WCDL) was formed as the applicant company and a total of 19 consents sought from the Tasman District Council. The proposal was heard between 1-9 December 2014 and was preceded by a plan change that specifically provided for the project in the Tasman Resource Management Plan.
The specialist team at Anderson Lloyd advises WWAC and appeared for the applicant company WCDL on this project.
See below for media release from Irrigation New Zealand:
http://irrigationnz.co.nz/publication/waimea-dam-approval-great-news-nelsontasman-region/
PDF version : Waimea Community Dam approved