CIF Project Summary: Hawke's Bay Regional Strategic Water Demand and Availability Study
Grant No: 09/07
Last updated: 29 January 2010
Contact details
Name of Applicant Group: Hawke's Bay Regional Council
Contact person: Bruce Corbett
Address: Private Bag 6006, Napier 4142
Telephone: 06 835 9204
Web update: www.hbrc.govt.nz
Email: bruce.corbett@hbrc.govt.nz
Project details
Status: In progress
CIF funding: $140,000
Total project funding: $280,000
Proposed start date: 2009-07
Proposed finish date: 2012-06
Region: Hawke's Bay
Project description
The purpose of this project in the Hawkes Bay region is to quantify water availability and potential water demand at a sub regional or catchment level, and identify possible strategies to optimise the available water.
The objectives of the project are: to have an understanding of the potential water demand for the region at a catchment level based on land use and climate change scenarios; to have an understanding of the availability of water at a catchment level based on land use and climate change scenarios; to identify possible strategies that will allow integrated water management that provides for potential water demand while meeting the community needs and aspirations.
The issue/opportunity
The Hawkes Bay economy is heavily reliant on primary production and associated processing activities and water is a critical input. There has been an increased demand for irrigation to sustain as well as to increase yields over recent years and this has put increasing pressure on the region's water resources, with considerable adverse media comment on water quality.
Recent droughts coupled with current market drivers (ability to guarantee annual supply of volume and quality parameters) have both resulted in a marked increase in irrigation demand. However, current resource and water management constraints mean this potential cannot be met.
Surface water resources are fully allocated in a number of catchments and the allocation of groundwater is on hold in many areas until groundwater and surface water interactions are better understood.
There is a need to assess how actual irrigation demand might change in the future and how current water resources might be affected by lower annual rainfall and increased drought frequency.
The context/background
Water resource management is the greatest challenge facing the summer dry areas of Hawke's Bay.
The Hawkes Bay region has a summer dry climate which is likely to become warmer and drier under the predicted impacts of climate change. Parts of the region are currently facing a third successive autumn drought, with significant economic and emotional impacts on some farmers.
This study is part of Council's strategic water programme to proactively address the water management issues in the region. The recent LTCCP process has developed an all inclusive water direction for Hawke's Bay, which explores opportunities for the improved sustainable management of the region's water resource. This includes research investigations, policy development and the investigation, development and implementation of win-win water management solutions.
A new team is to be established at Council to work on: developing a regional water strategy; storage investigations; working with irrigators for the uptake of water metering and telemetry, and the coordination of irrigators around localised water management systems. MAF funding has assisted Council to initiate an exploration of water harvesting options in the Ruataniwha Basin in Central Hawke's Bay, and across the Ngaruroro and Karamu water systems which feed into the Heretaunga Plains.
Methods
A project brief will be developed to carry out the study, and include the following deliverables:
- Methodology report;
- Interim water availability report;
- Interim water demand report;
- Catchment strategy reports;
- Facilitation of catchment groups;
- Final report.
Contact for Enquiries
Senior Project Adviser
Natural Resources Group
MAF Policy
PO Box 2526
WELLINGTON 6140
Telephone: (04) 894 0632
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