Various parties – councils, iwi, irrigators, environmentalists – are maneuvering in slow motion around the Heretaunga Plains ‘water issue’ as the year draws to a close.
Not all of them even agree on what the issue is – over-allocation for extraction, global consents, water quality and ecosystem protection, natural aquifer re-charge, water efficiency and demand suppression, municipal water system leaks, residential over-use, population growth, water metering urgency (or not), near-term water security for current growers, future supply 100 years out for intensified growing and bringing more land under cultivation (if not paved over in the meantime), economic imperative versus merely living within nature’s limits?
And of course, who pays for any of the above?
Have I forgot any pieces in this puzzle?
Several major initiatives are lumbering along – interrupted by local elections, recovery priorities and now a looming holiday window – that are crystalising the disagreements amongst the parties. These include …
Heretaunga dam – this proposition has been off-loaded (almost) by HB Regional Council to a new purpose-formed entity, the Alternative Delivery Vehicle (ADV, in search of a sexier name, I’m told). ADV’s governance includes representatives from HDC (Councillor Michael Fowler) and NCC (yet to be confirmed), the Chief Executives of Mana Ahuriri and Tamatea Pōkai Whenua, and two from growers’ group, Heretaunga Sustainable Water (Grieg Taylor and Xan Harding).
The feasibility work is driven by consultants (HBRC footing the bill) and is progressing. Formation of the governance group has been lagging, but official transfer of the project to ADV is expected pre-Christmas. Ultimately the dam (slated for a tributary of the Ngaruroro) must be determined to be technically and environmentally acceptable, financially viable (based upon a 100% user pays premise), and of course … actually needed.
An interesting twist on this is a proposal (no details available) by the Ruataniwha Dam 2 advocates to supply Heretaunga water from their proposed dam instead. Not kidding!
Global consent – a group consent involving Twyford growers has yielded impressive results since 2016 – avoiding irrigation ban days, increasing efficiency of use, augmenting waterways for ecosystem benefit. The major Heretaunga growers, organised as Heretaunga Sustainable Water (HSW) are exploring using this approach on a grander scale … ideally covering most horticulture on the Plains.
The other side of this coin is that it might be so successful in managing irrigation water use that the case for a dam is undermined … or shoved into the distant future.
TANK – the regulatory ‘agreement’ that everyone loves to hate for currently managing water use across the Plains aquifer and waterways. Despite this HBRC-generated plan being endorsed by an Independent Hearings Panel, a full assortment of parties has appealed for relief to the Environment Court, whose decision will not be forthcoming until late 2026. Growers say their growth opportunities are stymied, while Māori and environmentalists ask: ‘What don’t you understand about over-allocation?!’
Some in the grower community would simply like to see a pro-growth Government intervene directly. And with the Government’s penchant for minister-empowering RMA and Fast-track ‘reforms’, that cannot be ruled out.
Aquifer re-charge – the Heretaunga aquifer is naturally recharged by ‘leakage’ from the Ngaruroro River. There is evidence to suggest that such recharge could be enhanced by different management of the river course and its gravels. Scientists are at work on this.
‘Natural’ recharge seems to have the approval of iwi advocates, whereas they have been reluctant to support man-made recharge (e.g., injecting collected freshwater into the aquifer. Still, enhancing aquifer supply in this manner might be deemed a better (or less evil) option than storing water behind a dam.
Demand reduction – much of the disputing described above is fueled by projections from the Regional Water Assessment (RWA) released by HBRC in June 2023, whose favoured narrative is that HB faces a future water supply gap of 25 million cubes by 2040 that would stultify economic growth in the region (with most that growth centered in the Plains). However, despite floating an alternative scenario where water savings could yield surplus water, the RWA gave only superficial discussion of how water demand could be significantly reduced.
However, finally, this past August 2025, HBRC set in motion a comprehensive water savings ‘Action Plan’ to investigate demand reduction potential, work that should be done as thoroughly as studying dam feasibility … and before leaping to expensive dam construction.
BayBuzz will be following each of these major pieces of the puzzle in the coming year. Stay tuned!
to much money chasing a limited resource….everyone in the game thinks the dance will go on for ever when they all understand it won’t….the biggest stack of money wins the game rinse and repeat. The same story through the ages NZ’s history shows us this.
I personally believe that water, and the storage/use thereof, is going to be an ulcerating sore in Hawke’s Bay for the next few years. There’s a wide gap between all the adversaries involved and none appear to be prepared to consider other options. Pretty much typical of “interest” groups unfortunately, and in the process the requirements of the general citizen are just pushed to one side as being of no importance.
We have plenty of water but not enough for water intensive industries, farming and agriculture. We even water the grass for cows so that we can extract a litre of milk for about 100 litres of water. In a country with a low population and abundant water, compared to most countries, we need to think more carefully how we earn our way in the world. Most of our food is exported and is not any cheaper to buy here. NZ needs to think differently and plan accordingly.
tangentially, we are now into our fourth (or third replacement) hot water cylinder in 8 years. the old one (installed 1972) blew out when HDC added chlorine… as did many others. the next two lasted ~4 years each before doing likewise. i’ve learnt the root cause for these failures – and why manufacturers no longer give warranties (longer than 3 months) in Hastings and HN now is because of the underlying water quality: alkalinity and dissolved organic compounds both too low, causing copper to corrode in low pressure systems. and that it’s getting worse because we’re sucking up too much from the aquifer, causing more rapid draw-down of surface water, lessening quality… hence the new “normal” of regular replacement of copper cylinders.
here’s the thing: HDC knows this, has done for yonks. the problem could apparently be solved by adding phosphoric acid or sodium silicate to the water supply, each of which work in different ways to prevent rapid copper corrosion. but they don’t because it’s not a requirement (in order to provide “safe” drinking water).
so…. instead we poor ratepayers get multi-thousand-dollar bills every few years. thanks so much!
we’re now ostensibly getting round the problem by installing an enamel-lined unit… but WHY has this not been common knowledge and WHY has HDC / HBRC / the manufacturers not made sure people know this?
class action suit?
The Ngaruroro River has been acknowledged and has protection as an Outstanding Water Body. However, the EPA fast track consent favours a consent application to mine a 23m deep pit the size of the Wellington Cake tin on the rivers margin over a 20 year period. No consultation with community, iwi or local residents. The Dec 1st decision looms. The lake will be on private land so this does not benefit the public. This is not a challenge against gravel extraction rather protection of a national treasure – the mighty Ngaruroro River