Council is seeking the views of the wider community on the future of the Pudding Hill stockwater intake, following a survey of the properties that use water from the intake.

One hundred and seventy-one users were surveyed in 2023 as Council considered an initial closure of the intake, which is required to have a fish screen in order to be compliant with Environment Canterbury resource consent conditions.

The investigation into a possible closure of the intake was carried out before Council decided to exit its stockwater delivery service, as part of the Long Term Plan 2024-34 deliberations last year.

The Pudding Hill stockwater intake is situated near Hart Road and takes an average of 250 litres per second of water from Pudding Hill Stream. The 220km of downstream race network provides stockwater to 171 rateable properties between the intake and Rakaia.

The survey results showed that 70 per cent of properties no longer required stockwater, with the remainder needing an alternative should the intake be closed.

Those properties were contacted by a council contractor to talk about alternative options for water and this work is ongoing.

Group Manager Infrastructure and Open Spaces Neil McCann said feedback already gathered from the affected properties had been considered and now it was time for the wider community to have their say.

“We know the Pudding Hill intake is also of interest and valued by people who don’t use stockwater from it, so now is the time for them to have their say.”

A public drop-in session will be held at the Mt Hutt Memorial Hall on Wednesday 19 February, 7-8pm, to talk about the Pudding Hill intake.

Each of the 17 intakes under consideration as part of Council’s Stockwater Exit Transition Plan will be considered in a two-stage process. Stockwater users of the intake will to be surveyed first, followed by the wider community.

Mr McCann said the same process would be repeated as each intake is considered and people could keep up to date with the programme of work by signing up for email updates.

“It’s important that people have their say at the right time and we want to make sure everyone who needs stockwater has advice about an alternative option.”

You can find the Pudding Hill survey at itsourplace.nz/stockwater-exit/puddinghill

Find out more about the Stockwater Exit Transition Plan.

Sign up for email updates about how the transition plan is progressing.