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Our views are formed in response to three key questions:
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How wisely and fairly are we currently using water?
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How can we use water more wisely?
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How can we promote and encourage wise water use?
Current engineering projects under consideration are a large dam on the environmentally significant Makaroro River in Central Hawke's Bay, and injection of river water into our depleted Ruataniwha aquifer (Managed Aquifer Recharge).
However, such large-scale water storage projects promote increased irrigation and enable present unsustainable farming practices to continue, with ongoing problems of pollution, depletion of life-sustaining water in our rivers and ecosystem, and shortages for surrounding rural communities.
We advocate for change to current water allocation policies so that they de-prioritise commercial activity, and apply the hierarchy of priorities below:
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Improve and enhance the environmental health and resilience of our rivers, streams and aquifers;
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Meet community needs for drinking water and recreational use; and
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Commercial use.
More sustainable water use entails being open to alternative land uses suited to Central Hawke's Bay’s climatic conditions, which include regenerative farming, dry land farming, vineyards, and other low-water use crops.
Conversely, the current focus on large-scale water storage is unsustainable, as it increases reliance on water-intensive agricultural practices, whereas climate change demands the opposite; the transition to wise use of our existing water resource.
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Dr. Trevor Le Lievre, the spokesperson for Wise Water Use can be contacted via contact@wisewateruse.org.nz