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Application for a Water Conservation Order on the Oreti River

The minister has recorded the making of the Water Conservation Order on the Oreti River.
The Water Conservation (Oreti River) Order 2008 was published in the New Zealand Gazette on 14 August 2008. The Order will take effect 28 days after the date of publication

Water Conservation (Oreti River) Order 2008

The Minister for the Environment has received an application for a water conservation order on the Oreti River. The applicant is the New Zealand Fish and Game Council and Southland Fish and Game Council. The Minister has appointed a Special Tribunal to hear and report on the application.

The Special Tribunal publicly notified the application on Saturday 30 September 2006.

The application was supplemented by further information provided to the Minister in July and in August 2005. A correction (PDF 23KB) was made to the application on 27 September 2006.

A letter of service (PDF 36KB) has also been sent to interested parties.

For more information about the application please email wco@mfe.govt.nz.

List of information provided to the Oreti Special Tribunal

Fish and Game application dated May 2005
Further information provided to the Minister 20 July 2005 and 30 August 2005
Relevant provisions of the RMA
Relevant provisions of the Variations to the Proposed Environment Southland Regional Freshwater Plan.
Copy of the Buller Water Conservation Order 2001

Copies of the variations to the Environment Southland Regional Freshwater Plan are available on the Environment Southland website.

Hearing of submissions

The hearing by the Special Tribunal of the application and submissions in support of the application began on Friday 26 January 2007 at the Ascot Park Hotel, Invercargill and ran until Wednesday 31 January 2007. The hearing then adjourned and was reconvened 19 and 20th April in Invercargill. The applicant right of reply was held in Dunedin on Monday 18 June.
The special tribunal has concluded the hearing and is now preparing its report and recommendations.
Right of reply submissions of counsel for New Zealand and Southland Fish & Game Councils
Copies of the evidence tabled at the hearing to date can be obtained by emailing steve.merito@mfe.govt.nz or phoning on (03) 365 9556.

Submissions

The Special Tribunal publicly notified the application on Saturday 30 September 2006 and submissions closed on the 15th November 2006 at 5pm.
A total of 77 submissions were received on Fish and Game's application for a Water Conservation Order on the Oreti River. Of these, 63 supported the application, with 14 opposing the application.

Last updated: 6 January 2009