Baldock Larry: Resource Management (Waitaki Catchment) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Baldock Larry: Resource Management (Waitaki Catchment) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:619;Page:15284] 
LARRY BALDOCK (United Future) 
: 
 A great deal has happened since this bill was reported back to the House and had its second reading. It is true that a great deal of time has gone by since that time and that is regrettable because there is a need to proceed with the water allocation plan for the Waitaki Valley and the Waitaki River. That is why United Future will be supporting this bill through the remaining stages. 
Many people have said that the bill originally was about the fast tracking of Project Aqua and I am sure that many people still believe that today. But I am convinced that Meridian Energy certainly does not believe that. I think it is to the credit of the Local Government and Environment Committee members that we were resolute in how we handled this bill to make sure that it was not a fast tracking. The Government showed no intention to pressure anybody there to create an inner track for Meridian Energy to get Project Aqua through. In the end Meridian did pull the plug on a project that was ill-conceived at best and not very well investigated as it turned out. When Meridian Energy announced that the dirt it was going to use was not going to be adequate for its purposes it really left me wondering what on earth it had been doing all along in its analysis of the project. I do not believe the Resource Management Act was to blame for the collapse of Project Aqua at all. 
I still share concerns about the post - Project Aqua situation down in the Waitaki Valley. I am grateful to the honourable member David Parker for his assistance in meeting with some of the residents there and trying to resolve some of these issues that are still outstanding. But with regard to the Waitaki and the allocation of water there are really two communities down there who still seek to have this bill proceed through the House. The upper Waitaki residents have different concerns than the lower Waitaki residents. I even had discussions this afternoon with some from the Mackenzie Valley who are keen to see this bill go through because it does offer them some hope for the redress of their concerns to get water for irrigation and for environmental concerns in the Mackenzie Basin. 
I met recently with members of the community in the lower Waitaki. I have been down a couple of times since the committee finished its work and I am convinced that the majority of the residents there do want us to proceed with this bill. They are frustrated with the delay but they have confidence. 
Sandra Goudie 
: Why? 
LARRY BALDOCK 
: They see the need for a water allocation plan to be done. There are a number of very exciting projects there and they believe that if it was transferred over to the regional council to take care of it would result in even longer delays than they have experienced up until now. A lot of good work has been done in preparing for this water allocation board to be put in place which is what Part 1 of this bill is all about and it makes no common sense to throw all that out and start again and hand it all back to Environment Canterbury. So for that reason we will be continuing to support this legislation. 
I do though share the concerns that have been expressed about Meridian Energy’s mixed messages since announcing the closure of Project Aqua. The reasons it has given for not withdrawing consents have not satisfied me and I am sure they have not satisfied the community in Waitaki who have been through so much with that project hanging over their heads for a number of years. But I am convinced that the community does want to see this project proceed. There are many projects down there. There is tremendous potential for viticulture in the Waitaki Valley and the community will be keen to know whether they will have water allocated to them. There are also irrigation projects that have great merit economically for the area and it is important that some certainty is found about how much water will be available. 
There are also the concerns of those who value the river very much and there will be a minimum flow established for the environmental the intrinsic values of that river. So it makes good sense for this water allocation board to be established to be able to go through the process with the utmost speed that it can and to deliver finally some certainty to the community down there which in my opinion has been knocked around for a number of years. So we will be pleased to support the bill through the Committee stage although we will be listening to the debate as it proceeds over the particular changes that will occur now through the Supplementary Order Paper which are necessary in order to remove the aspects that were related specifically to Project Aqua.