Council will host a public information session on Tuesday 17 February for property owners who receive water from the Cracroft and Klondyke stockwater intakes.

The event will start at 4.30pm and be held in the Ruapuna hall. The stockwater race network for those two intakes is between Ruapuna, Hinds and Lowcliffe, and Council is exiting the stockwater delivery service.

Property owners using Cracroft and Klondyke stockwater have been invited to take part in a survey about future water use and are welcome to come along to the session.

Members of the public interested in the Cracroft and Klondyke intakes are also welcome to give feedback via an online survey here.

Council is in the process of exiting its stockwater delivery service and considering the future of 17 intakes.

Here’s a summary of the progress so far:

Pudding Hill

Council approved the partial closure of the Pudding Hill network at its meeting on 17 December last year, with the closure to take effect on 30 September 2026.

The Scarness and Drayton’s gates will be closed on that date, leaving water to flow only down Mt Harding Stream as shown in the map below.

The red and green lines on the map show the races to be closed.

All affected property owners have been notified of the impending closure.

A Heads of Agreement between ADC and BCI for the potential provision of stockwater has been signed.

Council officers and consultant (Melius) are continuing to work through how properties who require an ongoing stockwater supply can be serviced by alternative providers. The options include BCI, Spaxton Stockwater and existing connections to the Methven water supply. The discussions with these parties are on-going, with Melius speaking directly with each affected property owner about their options.

A meeting is being arranged between ADC and ECan officers to discuss the possible ongoing augmentation of Mt Harding Creek via the Pudding Hill intake once the stockwater closure has taken effect.

Methven Auxiliary

Investigation reports have been completed and provided to the Stockwater Transition Working Group (STWG).

The closure of the Methven Auxiliary intake will be discussed and considered by the STWG and Council this year.

Bushside

Melius have completed their investigation into the needs of the properties who will require an alternative stockwater supply.

Both the ecological and cultural assessments have now been undertaken.

Stoney Creek

Melius have completed their investigation into the needs of the properties who will require an alternative stockwater supply.

Both the ecological and cultural assessments have now been undertaken.

Limestone Creek

Melius have completed their investigation into the needs of the properties who will require an alternative stockwater supply.

Both the ecological and cultural assessments have now been undertaken.

It is anticipated that a report for this intake will go to the March meeting of the Stockwater Transition Working Group.

Brothers

Melius have completed their investigation into the needs of properties who will require an alternative stockwater supply if the intake is closed.  All property owners on this intake have been contacted and surveyed.

Melius is continuing discussions with commercial irrigation entities in relation to the potential transfer of the intake and network operation in its existing open race form. Based on these discussions, it has been determined that further analysis of alternative stockwater supplies is not required at this stage. However, if a transfer does not progress/proceed, further analysis will be undertaken.

Alford Forest

There are no stockwater rate paying properties on this race.

Both the ecological and cultural assessments have now been undertaken.

It is anticipated that a report for this intake will go to the March meeting of the Stockwater Transition Working Group.

Langdons Creek North & South

Melius are completing their investigation into the needs of the properties who will require an alternative stockwater supply.

A ‘joint springs’ public drop-in session will be programmed for late March. This session will cover all the spring-fed races in the Westerfield/Lagmhor/Tinwald/Willowby/Lake Hood areas.

Clearwell Springs

Melius have completed their investigation into the needs of the properties who will require an alternative stockwater supply.

A ‘joint springs’ public drop-in session will be programmed for late March. This session will cover all the spring-fed races in the Westerfield/Lagmhor/Tinwald/Willowby/Lake Hood areas.

Cracroft

A survey of the Cracroft Intake users is nearing completion.

A joint Cracroft/Klondyke public drop-in session will be held on Tuesday 17 February in the Ruapuna Hall commencing at 4.30pm.

A joint Cracroft/Klondyke wider stakeholder survey is currently open for members of the public, and users if they wish to provide feedback to Council.

Klondyke

A survey of the Klondyke Intake users is nearing completion.

A joint Cracroft/Klondyke public drop-in session will be held on Tuesday 17 February in the Ruapuna Hall commencing at 4.30pm.

A joint Cracroft/Klondyke wider stakeholder survey will be carried out.

Other

The five remaining intakes (Remington Creek, Lagmhor Creek, Winchmore, Rokeby and Acton) will be surveyed between March and September. A user survey for the Shepherds Brook intake will go out in late February.

The next meeting of the Stockwater Transition Working Group will be held on 4 March, and interested members of the public are welcome to take a seat in the public gallery. Details of the meeting, and an agenda, will be online on 2 March.