The stockwater network is primarily a gravity fed open race system which distributes water to properties across the district through over 1,500kmsof gravity fed open races and waterways, for stock to drink. The water is sourced from consented intakes mostly along the foothills of the district and often travels 10’s of km to the customer.

Landowners who pay a stockwater rate and have livestock on their property either full time or at certain periods during the year.

Rating policies have to be simple to administer and apply. Essentially, when a water race passes through or adjacent to a property, the service is available and therefore charges apply. When the network comprises open races, it is difficult to determine whether a landowner uses the race or not.

The stockwater activity is expected to cost around $1.4M to operate in the 2025/26 year. The network has been in service for over 100 years and is mostly old manually operated infrastructure which requires an increasing amount of maintenance. The increasing frequency of storm events also makes the management of river intakes more difficult and costly to maintain. The cost of upgrading the stock water races with fish screens is currently unknown but expected to be significant.

Yes, if all parties affected by the proposed closure support the application, or those who do not support the proposed closure have access to an alternative supply. There is an application process available for landowners who wish to progress a potential closure. Ideas for race closures should be discussed with Council ranger staff to examine the feasibility of the proposed closure prior to lodging an application.

Council has been discussing future options with irrigation providers. Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Limited are Council’s preferred stockwater provider via their piped network within their irrigation command area. Discussions are ongoing with other irrigation companies on possible options in the future for the delivery of stockwater via their networks.

Each property will be surveyed to provide feedback on their own circumstances around the availability of stockwater. Where a stockwater supply is identified as being required, Council will assist the investigation of a solution to the property boundary.

Biodiversity values are one of the aspects that will be considered as each intake, and its race network is investigated. Part of the work to achieve this will involve identifying which races needed to be retained for biodiversity, amenity or other reasons. For those races that were retained, it would be likely that their upkeep would be funded by the general ratepayer.

It is possible that parts of the existing network may be retained for ecological reasons, in which case the existing consents may have to be amended to reflect the change of use. Stockwater consents no longer required for stockwater or ecological uses will be relinquished.

It is well accepted that the water race network has in some cases provided a drainage function in wet weather events, but this can also be a negative by directing overland flows/stormwater to places where it is difficult to manage. Under the current race closure process, stormwater/drainage is considered and specific provisions are made where necessary e.g. additional soakage pits, or adjustments to roadside swales. Council also suggests to landowners affected by closures that races are converted into low swales rather than being filled in entirely. As part of a full withdrawal from the stockwater activity, some existing races may need to be formally gazetted as drains and be retained for this function.

The spring fed race systems will be investigated on a case-by-case basis for potential redirection to existing cutoff drains where available and appropriate to do so. Where redirection is not an option, these systems may have to be retained for ecological/drainage purposes and naturalised.

Fish screens need to be installed on key locations as required under the Canterbury Regional Land and Water Plan.

Early estimates based on a concept design of fish-screening infrastructure at the Methven Auxiliary intake had a project cost of $4.0M. The fish-screening infrastructure for the Brothers intake is $3.05M (again based on early concept design). At this point, Council has made no funding commitment to constructing fish-screens and so it is not included in current budget figures.

Council has carried out only essential maintenance on stockwater assets since the early 2000s, when the future of the network became uncertain under Environment Canterbury plans requiring Council to reduce its water takes from the Ashburton River. During this time, changing land use drove many requests for race closures, with about 100km of race being closed per year. Given these ad hoc closures, it was quite probable that an upgraded control gate or flume could be part of a race closure a short time later, and then the expenditure would have been wasted.