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SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />
Wednesday <strong>November</strong> 15 <strong>2017</strong> 5<br />
Water races set to close<br />
• By Georgia O’Connor-Harding<br />
THE CLOSURE of water races<br />
in Sheffield and Springfield has<br />
been described as “death by<br />
a thousand cuts” by a district<br />
councillor.<br />
Debra Hasson<br />
is concerned the<br />
closure of water<br />
races in Malvern<br />
to make way for<br />
the Central Plains<br />
Water scheme is<br />
short-term capital<br />
Debra<br />
Hasson<br />
Craig<br />
Watson<br />
gain.<br />
Her concerns<br />
were raised at the<br />
district council<br />
meeting last week.<br />
The closures were<br />
approved by the<br />
district council<br />
with Cr Hasson’s<br />
vote recorded<br />
against the decision.<br />
“We are potentially<br />
losing a water<br />
resource for our farming community<br />
long-term,” Cr Hasson<br />
said.<br />
She told <strong>Selwyn</strong> <strong>Times</strong> the<br />
district council needed to take<br />
into account the impact CPW’s<br />
CHANGE: Water races in Springfield and Sheffield are closing<br />
because of the CPW scheme. PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN<br />
pipes will have on cropping and<br />
biodiversity in the future.<br />
“It is not all going to be<br />
transferred to dairy, it needs<br />
to be transferred to cropping.<br />
Cropping requires fertilisation<br />
of seeds. If you are going to pipe<br />
everything and deliver it by the<br />
irrigation scheme, how is the<br />
biodiversity going to survive?”<br />
she said.<br />
But her concern received little<br />
support from other councillors.<br />
Cr Craig Watson said while it<br />
could be argued the closures are<br />
interfering with future farming,<br />
the district council is only closing<br />
down rats and mice, leaving<br />
the district with the overall<br />
boom of the water race.<br />
“We lessen our takes but we<br />
increase, maintain our costs . . .<br />
This is the right thing to do,” he<br />
said.<br />
His views were backed by Cr<br />
Pat McEvedy who said the decision<br />
hasn’t been reached lightly<br />
and council has already agreed<br />
to this process by helping fund<br />
CPW.<br />
In June, a report went to<br />
the sub-committee to approve<br />
consultation over the water race<br />
closures.<br />
The closures received 100 per<br />
cent support and no submissions<br />
were received.<br />
The report put to the district<br />
council highlighted the Department<br />
of Conservation did not<br />
have the resources to go collect<br />
the species from the water races<br />
free of charge.<br />
The water races potentially<br />
have longfin eel, Canterbury<br />
galaxias, upland bully and freshwater<br />
mussels.<br />
Cr Nicole Reid said it needs to<br />
find a suitable way to collect the<br />
fish to protect the species.<br />
“That should be a requirement<br />
of being able to close that down,”<br />
she said.<br />
But the district council’s water<br />
asset manager Murray England<br />
said if DOC can’t do it, a ecologist<br />
will, meaning the ratepayer<br />
has to fund the fish removal.<br />
The report said companies<br />
equipped to undertake electrofishing<br />
are likely to attract a<br />
significant cost.<br />
•HAVE YOUR SAY: What<br />
do you think of water races<br />
closing in Malvern as a<br />
result of the Central Plains<br />
Water scheme? Email your<br />
views to georgia.oconnor@<br />
starmedia.kiwi<br />
Local<br />
News<br />
Now<br />
In Brief<br />
Fire rages, homes at risk<br />
DRAFT CEMETERY BYLAW<br />
The district council has approved<br />
a draft Cemetery Bylaw for public<br />
consultation. The draft bylaw,<br />
which updates the existing 2011<br />
bylaw, regulates the use and management<br />
of district council cemeteries<br />
and provides guidance for<br />
the public on information such as<br />
the purchase of plots, provisions<br />
for interments, requirements for<br />
placing memorials and keeping<br />
graves in order. The district council<br />
maintains 19 cemeteries. The<br />
proposed bylaw includes some<br />
changes to ensure legislative compliance<br />
to provide for the comfort<br />
and well-being of visitors and to<br />
reflect current community needs.<br />
Consultation will be open until<br />
December 11, with hearings to be<br />
held in February next year.<br />
LAKE COLERIDGE WATER<br />
A boil water notice is in place for<br />
properties connected to the Lake<br />
Coleridge water supply. The notice<br />
was issued on Friday after test results<br />
were received showing e. coli<br />
levels were above recommended<br />
levels. E. coli was detected in the<br />
post-UV area of water treatment<br />
and no e. coli has been detected in<br />
the reticulation zone. The scheme<br />
is currently being chlorinated.<br />
However, residents are advised<br />
to continue boiling water until<br />
further notice.<br />
Use your outdoor living areas<br />
all year round<br />
• Warm & dry in winter<br />
• UV protection for summer<br />
• Stylish & permanent<br />
• 5 year warranty<br />
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