Prawn farm gets water rights

Press, 17 December 1986, Page 13

Prawn farm gets water rights

PA Hamilton A proposed venture to farm prawns at Wairakei has been granted water rights by the Waikato Valley Authority. The joint venture proposal by Jeffrey Knewstubb, of Wellington, and Salmond Industries, Ltd, is for a freshwater prawn farm using waste hot water from the Wairakei geothermal steamfield to heat the prawn pools. It .would also take some water from the Waikato River. The authority tribunal which heard the water rights application noted that there was no guarantee of long-term supply of heat from the Wairakei Stream. The Electricity Division is looking at reinjecting geothermal fluids into the ground instead of pumping the fluids, which contain arsenic and boron, into/he Waikato River. The tribunal noted that granting water rights did

not provide security of supply for the venture. Fisheries regulations would have to be amended to permit prawn farming. The Wildlife Service objected to the application. Its concern was that the quantity of nutrient discharge could harm river life. The project has already received planning consent for prawn farming and associated tourist facilities from the Taupo County Council. The authority will monitor discharges from the farm and the applicant will be required to investigate the quality of discharge. “On the evidence available, the project would appear to be a beneficial use of waste water and reduce the heat load entering the Waikato River from the Wairakei Stream,” the tribunal’s report said. ,