Recent rain hasn't halted water restriction discussions in Gore, which was hit hard by drought last summer.
Photo: Wikicommons
Drought was declared in the Southland region in January with stringent water restrictions imposed on the district's residents.
The Gore District Council held a hearing on Wednesday morning to discuss changes to its water restriction regime in a bid to lessen the impact on residents.
Underneath the Mataura River lies the water supply for the Gore District.
Water seeps through the river bed, collecting in aquifers below which the council then pumps out and treats before it reaches residents.
Between June 2017 and May this year, water restrictions have been in force for 83 days.
Gore resident Terry McNamara said the drought last summer hit more than just his garden.
"The sad part is I didn't finish painting my house because the paint virtually snap dried on the brush so we had to give that away," Mr McNamara said.
"It was frustrating we actually had to be very careful about watering the garden. We decided not to water anything that wasn't edible."
He was one of three people who spoke at the council's hearing on the proposed water restriction changes.
The current water restriction levels go from level zero which is in force year-round to a total hose ban at level four.
The new approach includes five different levels that range from simple conservation to essential use only, and targets outside usage.
It allows for small paddling pools to be filled and vegetable gardens to be watered until level 5 is declared - previously they were cut out early.
At the hearing, Mr McNamara questioned why businesses and industries shouldn't be compelled to do more.
"I think you need to actually have in your document a regulatory regime that says in times of scarcity, the industrial people will reduce their draw or demand on the water system," he said.
"Not just hammering the town's people. That's not fair."
There were only 53 submissions on the changes in a district of more than 12 thousand people - 36 people supported the new plan.
Speaking to residents on the streets of Gore, many weren't aware of the consultation.
Peter Kempthorne said the changes were too lenient.
"Most people they pay their rates, they expect water and that's the rationale behind the apathy because we're wasting money on meetings and consultants ... But what are the penalties? That's the problem I see, it's got no teeth," he said.
Mr Kempthorne called for the council to open its pockets and pay for new infrastructure.
The council is planning to invest nearly $13 million to improve the ageing water supply infrastructure over the next decade.
It also set up a water task force earlier this year and is considering whether to make installing water tanks compulsory for all new builds in Gore and Mataura.
The Council's regulatory and planning general manager Dr Ian Davidson-Watts said the recent heavy rainfall should keep drought at bay this summer.
"The general trends going forward and the predictions we're getting out of organisations like NIWA are gonna tell us that, yes, we will get wet years every now and again," Dr Davidson-Watts said.
"But the trend will be much longer, drier summers so relying on the river going forward is something that is going to become a lot less certain."
Gore District Mayor Tracy Hicks said the council and residents needed to be proactive about conserving water.
"Everyone is gradually getting a better understanding of the value of water. I think that's shifted quite considerably over the last decade, going from a point where you turn your tap on at any point and time and use as much water as you actually want," Mr Hicks said.
"Most people realise now that is a resource that is in very short supply and we just have to value it and prioritise where it is used."
The proposed changes will be discussed at one of the next council meetings.
