Nick Smith30 November,
2010
New data suggests
New Zealand could be getting better economic
value out of its freshwater, Environment
Minister Nick Smith says.
Dr Smith today released
the findings of a Ministry for the Environment
report on freshwater allocation consents
at the Hawke’s Bay Water Symposium. The
Water Allocation Data 2009-10 report finds
most regions use less than 50% of the water
allowed to be taken under resource consent.
Southland (74%) and Canterbury (57%) have
the highest percentages of actual use.
“Some businesses may
be missing out on having access to water
as, on paper at least, the resource is fully
allocated,” Dr Smith said. “This report
reinforces the usefulness of measuring our
water take so we can manage it to get the
best value possible out of it, while protecting
the environmental values of our lakes and
rivers.
“New water measuring
and reporting regulations that came into
force on 10 November will help us do just
that, and are a significant step forward.
This data is important as it fills a gap
in our knowledge so we have better information
to assist water management.
“The fact that allocated
water has doubled in the last decade illustrates
the increased importance of water but also
the growth in pressure on this natural resource.”
Most consents granted
are for irrigation (75%), public water (9%),
industry (9%) and stock supply (6%). The
total amount of water allocated by resource
consent per year is about three times the
volume of Lake Taupo per year. Peak usage
in summer is sufficient to fill 30 Olympic-sized
swimming pools every minute.
“Water is generally
plentiful in New Zealand, but not always
in the right place at the right time. That’s
why we need to carefully manage our freshwater
resource so that we look after the environment
in areas where there is growing scarcity,
while maximising our economic opportunities,”
Dr Smith said.
“An important part of
the Government’s economic reform programme
is improving the management of our water.
The Government is looking forward to the
public response to proposals of the Land
and Water Forum which recommends more than
50 changes to improve the systems for managing
water quality and allocation.”
Water Allocation Data
2009-10 is available at:
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/water/water-allocation-2009-10/
Attached: Question and
Answers
Why has the Ministry
for the Environment produced this indicator
update?
The Ministry’s national
environmental reporting programme reports
regularly on all key parts of our environment
(eg biodiversity, oceans, land and freshwater)
and some of the human activities which put
pressure on our environment. Given the broad
spectrum of environmental issues, the Ministry
for the Environment works with reporting
partners (eg other government departments
and regional councils) to report on the
state of the environment.
This indicator update
is based on a report produced by Aqualinc
Research Limited. Information on the amount
of freshwater allocated from rivers, lakes,
and groundwater aquifers were drawn from
resource consents issued by regional councils.
The environmental indicator for freshwater
demand is total consumptive volume, where
water is not returned to source.
The indicator was last
updated in 2007. This updated report presents
the current size, source and uses of allocated
fresh water and an historical comparison
since 1999. The report also makes estimates
on the actual water used by regions.
How is freshwater allocated
in New Zealand?
Regional councils are
responsible for granting resource consents
in New Zealand. These consents are generally
required before surface water (water from
rivers, lakes and streams) or groundwater
may be removed for irrigation, drinking
water supply, industrial and manufacturing
works and other activities. Smaller volumes
of water, such as home or some stock drinking
water supply, are allocated through permitted
activity rules under many councils’ regional
plans and don’t require resource consents.
The consent process,
which is generally set up through regional
plans, is also known as ‘the allocation
of freshwater’. It can determine both the
maximum volume of water that may be taken,
and the maximum rate at which water may
be taken.
Why is reporting on
freshwater demand useful?
Reporting on freshwater
demand provides an indication of the size,
source and uses of allocated water in New
Zealand, at its current state and how it
has changed over time. This presents a national
and regional picture of allocation across
New Zealand, and helps us understand where
there may be issues, for example, relating
to allocation pressure. This strengthens
the evidence base for making policy.
How accurate is our
data on allocation in New Zealand?
This report provides
the most up to date information we have
on how water is allocated in New Zealand.
The data has been aggregated
into a national dataset and sent to regional
councils for checking. The contractor worked
with the councils to ensure the data is
as accurate as possible. Recommendations
have come out of this report to improve
the accuracy of allocation data in the future.
How does New Zealand’s
water allocation compare internationally?
Compared internationally,
New Zealand has an abundance of freshwater.
It is ranked 12th out of 193 countries on
a per capita basis for the size of its renewable
freshwater resource. Within New Zealand,
allocated water comprises less than 5% of
the renewable freshwater resource.
However, not all of
the renewable resource is actually available
to be used – much of it needs to be retained
in the rivers, lakes and aquifers to maintain
the various values of these water bodies
(such as ecological, recreational and cultural
values). Furthermore, water is not always
in the right place at the right time for
users. A large proportion of New Zealand’s
annual rainfall occurs in winter when demand
is relatively low.
How many consents are
there in New Zealand?
In 2010 there were more
than 20,500 resource consents for taking
fresh water, compared to almost 20,000 in
2006.
Where do the consents
take water from?
Around two thirds of
consents are for water from groundwater
sources, and just less than one third from
surface water (river and streams). However,
although there are fewer numbers of consents
for surface water the actual volume of water
allocated is four times higher than from
groundwater sources.
What is the water used
for?
Consents are allocated
to the following general uses: irrigation
(75% of the number of consents), public
water (9%), industry (9%) and stock supply
(6%).
Irrigation and hydro
generation account for the majority of consumptive
(water not returned to source) weekly allocations
with 46% and 41% respectively.
All of the volume for
the hydro generation is for one take in
Southland, the Manapouri hydro generation
take, which discharges to sea.
Excluding this hydro
generation take, irrigation use then accounts
for 78% of the weekly consumptive allocation,
with drinking water accounting for 8%, industry
11% and stock watering 3%.
Why is the Manapouri
hydro take considered consumptive when other
hydro takes aren’t?
Most hydro generation
is non-consumptive (i.e. the water is returned
to the source for other users). There are
some special case hydro generation consents
where water is abstracted from one catchment
and discharged to another. As the consented
water is being exported out of the first
catchment, it is a consumptive use for the
catchment. However, on a national scale
the water is still available for use, so
it is considered a non-consumptive consent
in this report.
The Manapouri hydro
take was considered consumptive because
it discharges all the water to sea. This
water then becomes unavailable for other
fresh water users.
How much water is allocated
in New Zealand?
The total annual allocated
consumptive volume is 27 billion cubic meters
per year (Bm3/year). This is equivalent
to almost half the volume of Lake Taupo.
When non-consumptive consents are also included,
this goes up to 193 Bm3/year, this is more
than three times the volume of Lake Taupo.
When is most water taken?
Peak water demand occurs
during summer in New Zealand when many consents
are for irrigation. The total weekly allocated
volume (757 Mm3/week) in New Zealand is
sufficient to fill up 30 Olympic-sized swimming
pools every minute.
How does the allocated
water compare regionally across New Zealand?
The regions of Canterbury,
Southland and Otago account for 86% of the
total weekly allocated volume in New Zealand.
Excluding the hydro
generation take in Southland, the weekly
allocation for Canterbury and Otago equate
to 56% and 20% respectively, of total other
national consumptive allocation. The main
water use in these areas is for irrigation.
How much land is irrigated
by consented takes in New Zealand?
The total area of land
irrigated by consented takes in 2010 was
more than 1 million hectares. This is approximately
4% of the total land area of New Zealand,
and about one tenth of the pastoral land
cover area.
This has increased since
2006, where the total area of land irrigated
by consented takes was more than 970,000
hectares.
How is peak allocation
demand changing over time?
Weekly allocation has
nearly doubled since 1999 (excluding the
Southland hydro take) and in the last four
years there has been an increase of 10%.
Over the longer term,
Canterbury has had the largest change in
allocated volume, with an increase of 98.2
Mm3/week (65% increase) between 1999 and
2010. In more recent years (2006–2010),
the largest increase in allocated volume
was again in Canterbury with a difference
of 25 Mm3/week (11% increase) and the highest
percentage increases have occurred in Horizons
(51%) and Northland (41%).
How much water is actually
used in New Zealand?
This report estimates
that the actual water used compared to the
maximum consented volume in New Zealand
is 65%. It is estimated that most regions
use less than 50% of the consented water,
indicating that allocable resources are
being under-used in these regions. However,
higher percentages of actual water use were
found in Gisborne (192%), Southland (74%)
and Canterbury (57%).
On the basis that allocations
have been sustainably set, this highlights
that there are opportunities for more efficient
use of allocated water in New Zealand.
Why is Gisborne’s water
use apparently so high?
This figure appears
higher than the consented allocation because
the water meter for the municipal consent
measures a combined intake from a dam and
a stream for the city water supply. The
intake from the dam is consented, but Gisborne
District Council staff consider they have
an existing use right for the intake from
the stream. Using this meter reading however
gives a higher actual water use than the
consented volume, but does not mean the
consent limit is being breached by the take
from the dam.
Using this meter reading
gives a higher actual water use than the
consented volume, but does not mean the
consent limit is being breached by the take
from the dam.
What is being done to
address issues of effective water allocation?
There are ever increasing
demands on New Zealand’s water. This precious
resource needs to be effectively managed
to protect all values of freshwater, including
ecological, cultural, recreational, as well
as ensuring adequate supply for drinking
water, agriculture and industry.
The Land and Water Forum
was asked by the Minister to make recommendations
to address these issues, including effective
mechanisms for the allocation of water across
New Zealand. The Forum is engaging publicly
around New Zealand on its report and recommendations
between now and early 2011.
