Nelson water export plans

Press, 6 September 1984, Page 2

Nelson water export plans

PA Nelson A big fresh water export enterprise may be set up in Golden Bay, Nelson. A planning consultant, Mr John Bamford, has applied to the Nelson Catchment Board for a water right to extract 350,000 cubic metres of fresh water a week from springs offshore from the Takaka rivermouth.

Mr Bamford was not available for comment yesterday, but it is believed that the scheme involves piping the water on to transport barges and then on to tankers which would be moored in Golden Bay.

While the application is in Mr Bamford’s name, it is thought that he is backed by Nelson-based interests. Mr Bam f ord works as consultant to the Triune

Corporation, the company planning to export fresh water from Deep Cove, Doubtful Sound. The chairman of the Nelson Regional Development Council’s subcommittee, Mr Robert Hodgkinson, has been involved in the project’s planning stages.

He declined to comment on the proposals yesterday. “I am aware of the plan, but I don’t think that I can comment on it while it is still in its infancy,"” he said. But the plan was “very exciting. It could offer a lot of employment opportunities in the area — if it comes to fruition,” he said. The application was for three alternative sites in Golden Bay, all of which were “some distance offshore,” said the board’s deputy manager, Mr Bob Paine.

Mr Bamford intends to draw 3600 cubic metres an hour, 50,000 cubic metres a day, and a total of 350,000 cubic metres a week from one of the sites.

The application was unique from the board’s point of view because of the volume involved and the drawing of fresh water offshore, Mr Paine said. If there were any objections, the application would probably be handled by a tribunal hearing. In either case the earliest the application could be heard would be the board’s October meeting.