The Waikato Regional Council has granted a consent lodged by Watercare in May to take an extra 100 million litres (ML) a day from the river.
It enables Watercare to take the extra water between May and September, and at other times of the year when the river is above median flow.
The Council has also granted a consent allowing Watercare to use the 25ML a day (MLD) shared by Hamilton City Council.
Watercare already has consents to take 175MLD from the river, while the river is currently above median flow. That is the maximum Watercare’s Waikato Water Treatment Plant in Tuakau can currently treat and deliver.
The volume of water being granted to Watercare has Waikato Federated Farmers president Jacqui Hahn worried it will come at the expense of the needs of farmers and the wider community.
“Anyone in the queue will still be upset,” Hahn said.
Hahn says it is “very generous” of Hamilton City Council to allow Watercare access to its 25MLD take.
“But I don’t know if its citizens will be so pleased. Regardless of flow when its residents also have water restrictions in place during dry months,” she said.
Watercare also has another consent currently a Board of Inquiry for 200MLD If granted, it will replace its other consents, meaning a potential future river take of 350MLD
In the past week, Waikato Regional Council, Watercare, Auckland Council and Waikato-Tainui have signed a relationship agreement committing all parties to work together to protect the river and the people it provides for in both the Waikato and Auckland regions.
Waikato Regional Council estimates that about 50-60% of Auckland’s current water supply comes from the Waikato catchment, with the potential for this to increase up to 70% in future.
Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Mike Chapman reiterated his message from earlier this year where he said Auckland needed to own its water problem.
The request for 200MLD will mean others will have to give up some of their allocation.
“The proposition is that Waikato’s industrial users, growers and farmers in the Waikato will be required to give up their water for Auckland,” he said.
“This water reallocation is a significant wealth transfer from one area to another.
“Why should Auckland’s industrial users be advantaged over Waikato’s just because Auckland has not constructed water capture and storage to meet its own needs?
“This situation could also see water taken from Waikato vegetable growers who supply Auckland and other parts of New Zealand with healthy, locally-grown fresh food. This region contributes more than 25% of New Zealand’s vegetable supply by value.”
