Present rights not affected

Press, 2 October 1987, Page 3

Present rights not affected

Present water rights for Irrigation would not be affected'by Wednesday’s Court of Appeal decision concerning the Rakaia River, said the chief executive of the North Canterbury Catchment Board, Mr Ray Wood. “Any new replacement rights in the future will be subject to the controls of any conservation order, however,” he said. “The decision must give confidence to conservation interests, but at the same time give concern to irrigation interests. “The future for irrigation schemes using river waters where there may be amenity values will be

one for anxious consideration by irrigation farmers. “Assuming a final order is made, it will become the "basis of the Catchment Board’s management plan for the Rakaia, and will be applied' to all decisions on water matters.”

Mr Wood said that while the Court said that conservation was the primary objective, it also said, “Water uses may be provided for to the extent that they are clearly compatible with the required preservation or protection of the national amenity or outstanding features or are clearly shown to be essential in the public interest.”