Water Water Everywhere

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Water Water Everywhere?
Sustainable AgricultureSustainable Water

• Robert Brodnax
• Acting Group Manager Policy
• Environment Waikato

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Sustainability
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Water Water Everywhere?
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Kayaking - Waikato River
Recreation/ tourism
Photo Destination Lake Taupo
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Irrigation
Currently uses 32 of water allocation
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Karapiro Dam
Waikato Hydro 12 of NZs electricity Huntly,
which relies on Waikato River for cooling, 20
of electricity demand
Photo Leiff Piggot
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Is domestic water supply more important than
other uses?
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Agriculture is key to our growth
Water is key to agriculture,and the rest of the
economy
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No detectable change 57
River Water Quality Trends100 Waikato Region
Sites, 1990 - 2002
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Improving trends (clarity, Ammonia)
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Declining trends (pH, Total N, Total P)
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Impact on water qualitySources of nitrogen
entering streams in the Waikato Region
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Nitrogen Loads to Lake Taupo
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Whats acceptable in water quality?Groundwater
nitrogen trends
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If pine-pasture conversions occur in the upper
catchment.
On current information, we know WPL gt20,000 ha
CHH 32,000 ha Plus other private conversions
Taupo pine forest
PhotoJohn Greenwood
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What are the downstream risks ?
Peak floods will be longer, more intense and more
frequent
Huntly flooding
John Greenwood
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Aucklands water supply Vital electricity
link Key transport corridor
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Real life waits for no planAverage N fertiliser
use on Waikato dairy farms
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?
Moving Forward
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Finding workable solutions

• Expert knowledge
• Good planning
• Comprehensive community dialogue
• Demonstrating economic benefits
• Innovation and lateral thinking
• Strong central and local government
  partnerships

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The next three years

• Get compliance with permitted activity rules
• Integrated Catchment Management
• Advocate and support industry leadership
• Begin community dialogue

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Protecting Lake Taupo

• EW proposes a cap on nitrogen, not on stock
  numbers
• Allows farmer flexibility to alter farming
  practices
• Allows technology innovations (nitrogen
  inhibitors)
• Special case
• 81.5 million fund to assist change in land use

Partnership Central Government Ngati
Tuwharetoa Taupo District Council
Environment Waikato
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Hugely difficult political issue

• Politicised issue
• The new religion?
• Environment Court challenges
• Treaty claims
• EW holds a middle path
• Our strength is in our science and commitment to
  Strong evidence-based decision-making and
  community process
• If development occurs without careful thinking
  through of the consequences, EW may be forced to
  regulate sooner

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