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Last Updated: 16/07/2010
Water quality and quantity, groundwater and wetlands are issues that Southlanders are interested in. The purpose of this Plan is to promote the sustainable management of Southland's rivers,
lakes, groundwater and wetland resources. The plan is aimed at enabling the use and development of fresh water where this can be undertaken in a sustainable way, providing a framework for
activities such as discharges to water, taking and using water, and structures and bed disturbance activities in river beds.
Environment Southland publicly notified the Regional Water Plan for Southland on 30 September 2000.
Following the process of submissions, hearings and appeals, the majority of the Plan was approved and made
operative on 18 January 2010. The plan provisions on agricultural effluent ponds were made operative on 13
April 2010. However, Plan is a 'living document' with a further series of updates (plan changes) due to
commence over the coming months. Key proposed plan changes include:
- Incorporating older regional plans into the Regional Water Plan (this is called the
Discharge Plan project);
- Improvements to how we manage the impact of groundwater abstraction on surface water resources;
- Enhancements to the plan provisions for confined aquifers (groundwater overlain by an impermeable, or low permeable layer); and
- New rules specifically providing for community water takes.
Regional Water Plan for Southland
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For those who would like higher quality maps, please download the maps as a separate download below. Please note that the file size of the high quality maps is quite large and may take
a while to download depending on your internet connection.
High quality Regional Water Plan maps
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Proposed Plan Change 1 (Farm Dairy Effluent) and Plan Change 2 (Silage)
Environment Southland publicly notified Plan Change 1 (Farm Dairy Effluent) and Plan Change 2 (Silage) to the Regional Water Plan for Southland on 17 July 2010.
Copies of the public notice, proposed plan changes and accompanying reports can be downloaded below:
The proposed plan changes are now open for public submissions until 4.30 pm, Friday 13 August 2010.
Anyone can make a submission on the proposed plan changes. Submissions should be made out on the following submission forms:
The full process for public involvement is outlined in the public notice.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns about the proposed plan changes, please contact Michael Bennett or Rachael Millar at this office on 0800 76 88 45 (Southland only) or 03 211 5115, or email service@es.govt.nz. If you need further copies of the plan changes (either electronic or paper copies), please do not hesitate to request them.
Variation No. 6 (Agricultural Effluent Ponds)
A new rule and policy regarding the design and construction of agricultural effluent ponds was added to the
Water Plan in March 2009. These provisions became operative on 13 April 2010. The relevant documentation can
be downloaded below:
Agricultural Effluent Pond Rule and Policy
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Code of Practice for Design and Construction of Agricultural Effluent Ponds
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If you have any questions about the Variation, please contact Rachael Millar or Michael Bennett at
Environment Southland on 0800 76 88 45 (Southland only) or 03 211 5115, or
email service@es.govt.nz.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: I'd like to enlarge my existing pond in order to have more storage. Under the new rule, does this
require a resource consent?
Answer: Yes. Under the new rule, any construction activity to enlarge an existing pond requires a resource
consent.
Question: I was recently granted a resource consent to discharge farm dairy effluent that requires me to
construct a storage pond. Do I need another resource consent to build it?
Answer: No. The new rule explicitly excludes any pond required for a discharge permit, so long as the
application was lodged before 28 March 2009. However, your resource consent for discharging farm dairy effluent does set out
some requirements for pond construction.
Question: I started constructing a pond prior to the public notification of the new rule. Do I need to apply
for a resource consent?
Answer: Yes. Resource consents are required for all ponds that were not completed by the rule's public
notification date. (That is, except for those ponds required as a result of a consent to discharge farm dairy effluent -
see answer to Question 2.)
Question: I lodged a consent application to discharge farm dairy effluent before the new rule was publicly
notified. Now that the rule has been made official, do I need to lodge another application for the pond?
Answer: No. Your new consent to discharge farm dairy effluent will cover the pond construction.
Stormwater Discharge Guide
Environment Southland has prepared a guide for the discharge of stormwater
in the Southland Region.
Water Plans
Related Information
The following factsheets might also be of interest:
Other Information
Online Water Quantity Map
Online Water Quality Map
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