Environment Canterbury is proposing a controversial amendment to the Waitaki water catchment plan, effectively reducing its minimum flow by nearly 30 per cent for four months.
The Waitaki Catchment Allocation Plan, drawn up after a Government call-in of water-right applications back in 2004, sets the minimum flow for the river at 150 cumecs, to allow for both hydro generation and good environmental qualities.
However, a draft discussion document proposed by the Canterbury Water Management Strategy's Lower Waitaki committee suggests dropping this to 105 cumecs for pre-2006 issued consents for October to January, and between 125 to 145 cumecs for them in other months.
At least two members of the Lower Waitaki Committee have irrigation interests, for which they apparently will not be required to recuse themselves - so I think the result is a foregone conclusion. And thanks to National's dictatorship legislation, there will be no ability to appeal the decision to the Environment Court.
This is what the dictatorship is all about: stealing our water, ruining our environment, for the profit of the few and at the expense of the many. And we shouldn't let them get away with it. The Opposition needs to commit not only to restoring democracy, but to nullifying all decisions made by the dictators unless they are endorsed by an elected ECan. Anything less is lending legitimacy to tyranny.