Councillor Richard Wilson will lead the working group charged with planning and managing Ashburton council’s exit from delivering stockwater.

The Ashburton District Council decided to exit delivering stockwater by the end of June 2027 in its long-term plan.

The first act in the managed exit has been adopting the arrangements for the working group and selecting a chairperson, with Wilson getting the nod from his fellow councillors.

Wilson has extensive knowledge around the issues as a farmer in the Hinds area and was previously a chairperson of RDR Management Limited and director of MHV Irrigation.

The council currently provides stockwater to rural properties across the district through a large network of water races. Councillors voted to exit the service as the ageing infrastructure is costly to maintain, is considered inefficient in delivering water, and new environmental requirements will add extra cost.

It is funded by all properties that have a race pass through their property so is being paid for by many that don’t use, need, or want the service.

The purpose of the working group is to ensure properties that require stockwate are presented with alternative options for the delivery.

The working group’s first task will be to deliver a stockwater transition plan, on an intake-by-intake approach, to the council for adoption by the end of the year.

Once a transition plan is in place, the working group will monitor the progress towards achieving an exit from stockwater delivery by June 30, 2027.

Chief executive Hamish Riach made it clear that the working group did not have any decision-making powers, and would present recommendations to the council to make the decisions.

“The intent of this working group is we have the best possible way of getting through some quite gnarly issues over the next couple of years with the best information we can possibly get access to.”

The working group will have a two-tiered membership.

A core membership will make the recommendations, taking a consensus approach, to the council based on expert advice and wider working group input.

The core membership consists of councillors Carolyn Cameron and Wilson, Mayor Neil Brown, representatives from Federated Farmers, Environment Canterbury, Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua and a consultant.

They will look at who else “will add value” to whatever is being considered by the group to help form any recommendation, Riach said.

Key stakeholders include the various irrigation and water providers who will contribute and attend meetings as required.

The working group meetings will be open to the public, Riach said.

“The core group can just decide to hear from anyone they like.

“A member of the public is just as much a key stakeholder as some of the organisations.

“There needs to be some sort of decorum about it all, they can’t just leap to their feet in the middle of a meeting.”

The meeting minutes will also go before council meetings

The working group will start meeting monthly to meet the December deadline for its transition plan.

By Jonathan Leask