Author/s: Submitted opinion by the Central Otago Environmental Society’s Mike Riddell and Matt Sole

*Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those shared by The Central App and solely belong to the author/s of the opinion piece. The Central App may choose to publish community opinion pieces and letters to the editor for the purpose of public discussion and discourse. 

The statutory responsibility of Otago Regional Council (ORC) is to oversee the welfare of the region in which they are elected. 

This has not been the case for the past 30 years, and it seems that the same disregard for the natural environment of Otago is destined to continue under the watch of current councillors. 

The current upheaval in which chair of the ORC Marian Hobbs is set to be deposed is about one issue, and one issue only. 

The insurrectionists, led by Michael Laws, are seeking to defeat national water policy frameworks which would limit the historic draining of our rivers for private profit. 

Supported by Federated Farmers, the irrigators have formed a ginger group which has captured the hearts and minds of a number of ORC councillors.

Otago Regional Councillor deputy chair Michael Laws leads the insurrectionists against Chair Marian Hobbs. 

A report to the ORC from Professor Peter Skelton noted:

“The Otago region is at a critical juncture for freshwater planning. Existing planning provisions to manage freshwater are inadequate and the expiry of the Otago mining privileges (deemed permits) is only two years away. 

“There are also growing challenges for the state of the freshwater resource in Otago in view of the high level of water abstraction and the significant alteration of natural flows, ecosystems and habitat for indigenous flora and fauna.

“The immediate issue facing the Council is the challenge of developing a fit for purpose planning framework ahead of the expiry of the deemed water permits on 1 October 2021.

“It will be important to complete a new regional policy statement and a new land and water regional plan before undertaking the assessment of any new or replacement water consent applications. 

“This will enable applications to be considered under the new freshwater planning framework and will halt the current unsatisfactory situation of ad hoc ‘planning by consent’. This report recommends a pathway for achieving this.

It will be essential that the Council’s policy and planning programme remains on track. 

To ensure that this occurs, I recommend that the Otago Regional Council provides 6-monthly progress reports to the Minister summarising the: 

• organisational capability and capacity in science, planning, consenting, monitoring, enforcement and land management
• development of the new regional policy statement and new land and water regional plan, and
• freshwater consenting activity.”

The nine councillor signatories to the letter arguing for the replacement of Marian Hobbs are seeking to subvert the progress on any new water plans in order to allow existing irrigators to re-consent under the present (not fit for purpose) ORC water plans for 35 year consents.  

This has and will enable the ‘Grandfathering’ of historical water allocation in Central Otago waterways - dominated by century old mining water rights - resulting in severe river depletion at times of high irrigation demand and low inflow periods.

With increasing land intensification and demand for water extraction these paper allocations are worth gold and represent, if all exercised, more than the total natural water resource available in the catchments - consequentially degrading the natural aquatic ecological processes and the form and function of our waterways. 

This is basically a resource grab of natural waterways for private gain without fit for purpose tests and evaluation against needs for sustainable ecological function and community values and consideration against the concept of Te Mana o te Wai, and ki uta ki tai.

The needs of our waterways and environment must come first. 

Our futures depend on it. For it to have a future, our man made economy must adapt to the needs of our life supporting environment and planetary limits. 

Marian Hobbs is a fighter for the environment, and as such is seen as an enemy of those who gain benefit from historic misappropriation of water. 

That is the justification for the attempt to unseat her. The victims of this tussle will be the environment and the people of Otago. 

Editor’s background note: Nine out of 12 Otago Regional councillors have moved to hold an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday July 8 to vote on current chair Cr Marian Hobbs’ position. 

*Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those shared by The Central App and solely belong to the author/s of the opinion piece. The Central App may choose to publish community opinion pieces and letters to the editor for the purpose of public discussion and discourse. 

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