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Selwyn Times: November 14, 2017

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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 />

Chris Thorndycroft<br />

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