Otago Canoe and Kayak Club
Conservation contents
Conservation Smith`s Falls
2001
Last year many of you may recall the Queenstown Lakes Council
lodged a request with the Otago Regional Council to carry out
flood remeditaion works at Smith`s Falls on the Kawarau River
This was opposed by OCKC, and many
members sent submissions against the request.
The result was that the Council decided to put it "on
hold" while more work was done to consider other options of
flood control.
Recently we were sent a document
"Queenstown Flood Strategy Consultation Documtment"
outlining an
"Integrated approach to the flooding issue" which
includes:
- Lowering the outlet sills at the Kawarau River
- Widening the Kawarau River Gorge upstream of Smith`s Falls
- Excavation of a channel through coarse gravels and removal of willows from the bed of the Kawarau River and Rastus Burn and Owen Creek
- Introduce new district plan minimum flood levels at Kingston and Glenorchy
- Invest $600,000 in sewerage improvements in central Queenstown to eliminate contamination in the event of a flood
- Work closely with developers in flood prone areas to ensure all new buildings are flood proofed at the time of construction
- Establish early warning systems in conjunction with commerce Queenstown and encourage businesses to adopt evacuation and business recovery plans
We were asked to submit comments on
this plan and the Council intend to lodge a resouce consent
application early in August.
A letter has been sent from OCKC, basically opposing the plan on
the grounds that:
- The Kawarau River has a National Conservation Order on it and so, by legislation it is protected
- The document failed to fully show how such an activity will not result in flooding further downstream
- There is an increased risk of safety issues of recreational users of the river from debris in the river
- The document gives no evidence that widening of the river above Smith`s Falls will not affect the Falls
OCKC plans to put in a submission
against the Resource Consent when it is lodged.
If you would like any further information about this or want to
be involved in it at all then please contact either Maggie moakley@paradise.net.nz
or Sue sue.abbott@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Below is the text of a letter sent on behalf of the Queenstown-Lakes District Council to Otago Regional Council and Civic Corporation Limited. The letter was about the Queenstown - Lakes District Council`s applications for resource consents to carry out certain flood remediation works at Smith Falls on the Kawarau River. The letter is dated March 14th 2001
Dear Sir / Madam
APPLICATION FOR RESOURCE CONSENT BY QUEENSTOWN LAKES DISTRICT
COUNCIL FOR FLOOD REMEDIATION WORKS AT SMITHS FALLS, KAWARAU
RIVER NEAR QUEENSTOWN - OTAGO REGIONAL COUNCIL REFERENCE
2000.632 CIVIC CORPORATION REFERENCE RM000926 (Our ref:187900)
We advise that we have been instructed to act on behalf of the Queenstown-Lakes District Council in respect of the abovementioned applications for resource consents.
Having considered the matters raised in the submissions to the applications and on the basis that it is obvious that the application has not made it clear to interested parties that the proposed work was intended to be part of an overall package of proposed flood remediation measures to be undertaken by the Queenstown-Lakes District Council which will require further investigation and inevitably resource consents; it has been our recommendation to Council that they make application to both the Otago Regional Council and the Queenstown-Lakes District Council that the hearings of the applications be adjourned until such time as the findings of further reports that have been commissioned in relation to further remediation measures and in particular relating to the removal of sills at the Kawarau Bridge at the outfall of Lake Wakatipu, are available and if such further reports recommend the desirabiltiy of undertaking the removal of such sills, the necessary formal resolutions of Council to proceed with the application for consent to undertake such works have been obtained.
Further, discussions have been held with Council that if such applications are to be made then it may be desirable and expeident as far as the consent authorities and submitters are concerned, that the applications be heard together.
In light of the above we have have been instructed by our client to make a formal request to the Otago Regional Council and the Queenstown-Lakes District Council through its agent, Civic Corporation Limited, that the further processing of the current applications befire you be put on hold and that the hearing of any application be postponed.
We are forwarding a copy of this lette to all submitters to the applicaton as detailed in the attached schedule.
Should you have any queries concerning the matter please do not hesitate to contact the writer
