rivettingKateTaylor

This from the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council this morning.

Copied almost verbatim due to other deadlines 🙂  I will try to put more updates around what is happening with the plan change and with the dam, but I work part time for RoadSafe HB, a business unit of the HBRC, and won’t have a public opinion at this time.

Government approves extension for final Tukituki Catchment Proposal decision

The Minister for the Environment Amy Adams and Minister of Conservation Nick Smith have approved a one month extension to the time frame the Board of Inquiry has to produce its final decision and report on the Tukituki Catchment Proposal.

Earlier this month the Board of Inquiry released its one thousand page draft decision granting resource consent for the Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme and at the same time finalising Tukituki Plan Change 6, which sets minimum flows and water quality measures for the catchment.

Noting the complexity and importance of its decision to the Hawke’s Bay community, the Board had previously asked for and was granted a month time extension in February to issue its draft decision, which the Council and HBRIC Ltd supported.

The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and its investment company HBRIC Ltd wrote to the Ministers last week requesting an additional extension to allow the Board more time to consider comments on the draft decision.

In its comments, Council draws the Board’s attention to aspects of the draft decision, which if confirmed, will have significant adverse implications in terms of administration of the Resource Management Act and its effect on the farming communities in the Tukituki Catchment.

Council Interim Chief Executive Liz Lambert says it welcomes the Ministers’ decision and believes it will give the board additional time to consider the technical complexities of its decision.

The final decision is now due Saturday 28 June 2014, however Council understand the board will release its decision as soon as practicable within the new time frame.