Growers in Gisborne are applying to the regional council to triple the time for which water permits for irrigation are issued.
Water permits are currently issued for five years, but concerns about ongoing water allocation have prompted growers to ask for that time limit to be extended to 15 years.
Horticulture New Zealand growers are concerned that the council's method for managing water resources does not meet suggestions included in a national policy statement on freshwater management, which was issued earlier this year.
