Council has commissioned a water balance report for the Washpen/Mt Harding Creek system, as part of its work on the future of the Pudding Hill stockwater intake.

The work will involve measuring flows at 18 points along the length of the creek system, which is also augmented by stockwater from the Pudding Hill and Methven Auxiliary intakes.

Council aims to exit its whole stockwater delivery service by 2027 and is looking at each of its intake separately, starting with these intakes.

Chair of the Stockwater Transition Working Group Cr Richard Wilson said the flow measurement would help quantify all the entry flows of water into the Washpen/Mt Harding Creek system, as well as all the exits.

“It’ll help determine how much of a contribution stockwater makes to these waterways and we expect the report to be available in early April.

The water balance report is being prepared by Aqualinc.

Cr Wilson said other reports were being prepared for the Pudding Hill intake and they would be made available to the public when complete. These include ecological, cultural, archaeological and stormwater reports.

“We need a good picture of the intake and the catchment it has served in the past. We think that a lot of the information in these reports will also be relevant to other intakes when we get to them.”

A survey of Pudding Hill stockwater users found 70 per cent of the 171 users had an alternative supply if council shut the intake. The remaining 30 per cent all had a feasible supply alternative, through Spaxton Stock Water Limited or Barrhill Chertsey Irrigation Limited.

Cr Wilson said it had been nine months since Council made the decision to exit the stockwater delivery service and while Council had provided information about alternatives, it was also up to those who needed stockwater to do their own work.

“We’ve started with the most complicated intakes and stockwater users, but we’re also hearing from people who want amenity flows in some races. Who pays, who continues to hold consents, and what a good outcome is will eventually be a decision for Council, based on recommendations from the Stockwater Transition Working Group.”

Another public meeting for the wider community interested in the Methven Auxiliary intake will be held later this month. The deadline for Methven Auxiliary stockwater users to complete their surveys has been extended for at least a week – 137 of the 208 users have returned their surveys but leeway has been given to those who may be busy with harvest.

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