Stockwater Exit Transition Plan
Learn more about the Stockwater Exit Transition Plan
Council has begun the process of considering the future of 17 individual stockwater intakes.
For each intake, the users of the stockwater are contacted by post and asked to take part in a private survey about how they use the stockwater; then the wider community is invited to have their say via an online survey.
The information helps the Stockwater Exit Working Group to make recommendations to Council on the future of an intake.
Reports gathered during the consideration process are also available to the public:
Read BECA’s Pudding Hill Stockwater Race Network Ecological Snapshot
Read AECL’s Manawhenua Assesment of the Pudding Hill Intake Stockwater Race
Read Aqualinc’s Memorandum – Mt Harding Creek Water Balance Investigation
You can read the order in which stockwater intakes are being considered below.
Background
On 26 June 2024, Council adopted its 2024-2034 Long Term Plan (LTP) which included the decision to divest itself from the delivery of the stockwater services by 30 June 2027.
Funding has been included in the LTP for a managed and inclusive exit of the Council delivering stockwater, with a stockwater working group being established to monitor progress. It is anticipated that most properties will be able to be supplied with stockwater from an alternative supply such as an irrigation company or the like.
The key reasons for Council ceasing to deliver stockwater by 30 June 2027 are:
- The stockwater network is an ageing and inefficient method of delivering water for livestock to farms.
- Maintaining the system is getting costlier because the infrastructure is ageing and needs replacement. Many components, related to the channels (eg race gates, junctions, flumes) will need replacing over the next few decades.
- The service relies on having sufficient water in the system to keep the water flowing. During summer, water sources often dry up, meaning we can’t always guarantee the service.
- There are other, more modern ways for properties to get stockwater. A lot of people who pay for this service don't use it because they've found more efficient ways to get stockwater such as through irrigation schemes.
- Meeting new environmental requirements will add extra cost to ensure the system is viable in the future. For example, this includes the installation of fish screens on some intakes to meet these new standards.
All properties that have stockwater races running through them will be consulted with during the divestment process. Some races may not be closed due to ecological values or for other reasons and this will be considered and worked through as part of the process.
Transition Plan
On 18 December 2024, Councillors adopted the Stockwater Exit Transition Plan that will usher Council out of the business of delivering stockwater by 2027.
The plan clearly sets out the process Council will take in exiting the service, the intakes and various water sources that feed the stockwater network.
The table below provides an indication of when the investigation work for each intake will start and finish.
If you are unsure which intake supplies stockwater to your property, click on the intake name to see a map with an overall view of the area that intake services. The maps yellow hatched area indicates where properties are being serviced by that particular intake.
Task: | Investigation work starts | User survey | Public survey | Proposed finish date |
Stockwater Exit Transition Plan Programme | 27/09/24 |
|
| 30/06/27 |
27/09/24 | Complete | Complete | 26/11/25 | |
13/01/25 | Complete | Complete | 01/07/26 | |
13/03/25 | Complete | Complete | 26/11/25 | |
24/04/25 | Complete | Complete | 16/01/26 | |
05/06/25 | Complete | Current | 02/02/26 | |
16/07/25 | Current | Pending | 09/09/25 | |
23/06/25 | Current | Pending | 09/09/26 | |
13/08/25 | Aug 2025 | 19/05/26 | ||
22/09/25 | Sept 2025 | 02/06/26 | ||
23/10/25 | Oct 2025 | 17/12/26 | ||
12/12/25 | Dec 2025 | 28/10/26 | ||
05/02/26 | Feb 2026 | 20/10/26 | ||
18/03/26 | March 2026 | 01/12/26 | ||
30/04/26 | Apr 2026 | 12/02/27 | ||
16/06/26 | Jun 2026 | 29/04/27 | ||
29/07/26 | July 2026 | 17/02/26 | ||
07/09/26 | Sept 2026 | 30/06/27 |
Stockwater Transition Working Group (September 2024)
The Stockwater Transition Working Group (STWG) was established as a result of Council’s Long Term Plan decision to exit the provision of stockwater across the district.
The STWG membership includes:
- Cr Richard Wilson (Chair)
- Cr Carolyn Cameron
- 1 x Federated Farmer representative
- 1 x Environment Canterbury representative
- 1 x Te Rūnaka o Arowhenua representative
- 1 x Consultant Resource (Melius Ltd - John Wright)
The first deliverable for the working group was the development of the Stockwater Exit Transition Plan (SETP) by December 2024. The plan was developed internally by staff with the assistance of Aoraki Environmental Consultancy Limited (AECL) and the project consultant.
Project News
Stockwater Exit Transition Plan: Reports available to the public
Residents interested in Council’s work to exit its stockwater delivery service can now read three investigation reports related to Pudding Hill, the first of 17 stockwater intakes under consideration.
Stockwater Exit: Water balance report commissioned
Council has commissioned a water balance report for the Washpen/Mt Harding Creek system, as part of its work on the future of the Pudding Hill stockwater intake.
Stockwater Exit: Pudding Hill wider survey
Methven community members who came along to a public meeting about the future of the Pudding Hill stockwater intake are being encouraged to take part in Council’s online survey about the intake.
Stockwater Exit Transition Plan: First intake surveys in the mail
Land owners who have water races on or adjacent to their property and who pay stockwater rates for water from the Methven Auxiliary Intake are receiving letters this week asking them to take part in a survey about the future of the intake.