Borough anti suggestion on water rights

Taupo Times, Volume 23, Issue 60, 30 July 1974, Page 5

Borough anti suggestion on water rights

The Taupo Borough Councit opposes a suggestion that local authorities apply for water rights on behalf of subdividers. The change in policy is proposed in a report from the Natibnal Water and Soil Conservation Council, received by the council this week. At present the Taupo borough has a general authority to discharge to dry water courses, the lake , and river, subject to the water board being advised of the nature of the outfall. The council requires any developer discharging to natural water to obtain a water right as part of the „subdivisional approval.

The suggestion from the water and soil council was that the council apply for all discharge rights on the basis of future responsibility. But Taupo councillors felt that the obtaining of a water right should remain the responsibility of the subdivider. They consider rights could be transferrable upon completion of a subdivision. If the law is not specified on this point, a change to the law should be promoted. Under the water and soil proposal the council felt it would have no direct control over subdividers or over the conditions of discharge. The council could find

itself responsible for insufficient precaution or irresponsible action being taken by the owner during subdivision. Another problem would be that subdivision approval would have to wait for the granting of a right. Should a right not be granted, approval to subdivide would be withheld and appeals could arise. The council decided the present system had worked well and there was no justification for a change. While the water and soil body's proposals might be beneficial to the water boards, it would throw responsibility on to lOcal authorities in a ' matter on which they had no jurisdiction.