Hurunui River Water Conservation Order

Fish & Game New Zealand are opposing an application by Hurunui Water Project to dam the South Branch of the Hurunui River and dam the North Branch at the outlet of Lake Sumner.

Submission to Environment Canterbury closed on 11th September 2009.

Environment Canterbury: Hurunui Water Project purpose and application

Fish & Game Hurunui Water Project information

31 Jul 2009

Fish & Game encourages Hurunui irrigation submissions

Hurunui Water Project Limited’s application to dam the South Branch of the Hurunui River and dam the North Branch at the outlet of Lake Sumner was publicly notified by Environment Canterbury on the 18 July 2009. Fish & Game are opposing the application and called on anglers to make submissions by 11th September 2009.

Hurunui irrigation project 'outrageous'

The Press

North Canterbury could be transformed by dairy conversions worth up to $2 billion under a massive irrigation plan.

The Hurunui Water Project (HWP) plans to build a 75-metre high dam in the south branch of the Hurunui River, creating a 7km-long lake, papers filed with Environment Canterbury show.

Together with a weir that would raise Lake Sumner's level by up to 3.2m, an extra 138 million cubic metres of water would be stored for irrigation...

Why the Hurunui Water Project is a ‘dam’ good idea

Federated Farmers

Federated Farmers argues opposition to the Hurunui Water Project is emblematic of why New Zealand is slipping backwards as a developed nation.

“If New Zealand wants to grow the economy and generate real jobs, then we need to store water,” says Federated Farmers President, Don Nicolson...

November 2008

A special tribunal publicly notified the application for a Water Conservation Order on the Hurunui River on 12 November 2008. Public submissions on the application for a Hurunui River water conservation order were being accepted up until 15 December 2008.

Background information

In August 2007, the Minister received an application for a Water Conservation Order to be made on the Hurunui River. The applicant is the New Zealand and North Canterbury Fish & Game Councils and the New Zealand Recreational Canoe Association. See
Application by Fish & Game and the NZRCA to create a Water Conservation Order on the Hurunui River

The application was supplemented by further information provided to the Minister in March 2008. See
Application for a Water Conservation Order on the Hurunui River: supplementary letter

Appointment of Special Tribunal

In August 2008, the Associate Minister for the Environment appointed a special tribunal to hear and report on the application under section 202 of the Resource Management Act 1991.

Following their appointment, the special tribunal were provided with the following information:
- Fish and Game and NZRCA application dated
- Further information provided to the Minister
- Relevant provisions of the RMA
- Public notification and submission period