The Waiau River Care Group has extended its petition to Parliament until July 8 in a bid to get more support for its call to include the Waiau River in the draft national policy statement for freshwater management (NPS-FM).

As of Tuesday night, there were at least 1645 signatures to the online petition on Parliament’s website.

Petition organiser Paul Marshall of Tuatapere told the Southland App he wanted to give more people time to sign.

“It is just that signatures are steadily rolling in and there hasn’t been much time for people to get online and sign it. The extension to Wednesday July 8 means we still have time to be registered with the Cabinet before Cabinet chooses the wording for the national policy,’’ Mr Marshall said.

The petition asks the Government to remove Manapouri Power Scheme from a list of exceptions from new national freshwater management policies due to take effect in the next few months.

The Waiau River Care Group objects to that and has asked New Zealand First list MP Mark Patterson, who lives at Lawrence, to present the petition to the Cabinet select committee after July 8.

Mr Marshall said a paper petition was being run alongside the online petition.

The committee will eventually report back to Parliament, with or without recommendations on the petition.

Mr Marshall did not know when that might happen but understood the wording for the national policy statement for freshwater management was to be finalised mid-to-late July.

He said the Southland community was fully behind the petition and there was a good understanding of what it was all about.

“We have been overwhelmed by the support. On our Facebook page in the last three or four weeks, we have had a response of 24,000. That is significant for us. Unfortunately, that is not translated to signatures on our petition but nevertheless we are getting the message out there.’’

Recent media interest in the Waiau River Care Group’s cause had also helped raise awareness of the petition, he said.

“Make no mistake. To have an intransigent Minister for the Environment on what is an essential environmental issue is extremely disappointing. And the Green Party seems to be missing in action. I don’t know where the hell they are. The only MP who has gone the extra mile for us is Mark,’’ Mr Marshall said.

Environment Minister David Parker told the Southland App earlier this month that the Manapouri Power Scheme, which takes water from the Waiau River, would remain on the list of hydro stations that have exceptions to the draft national policy.

Mr Parker said the list of exceptions did not mean the Waiau River was being exempted from the draft national policy, “nor from the requirement to maintain and improve water quality”.

“[Regional] Councils will still have to set targets for ecosystem health attributes, but their decision is guided by the NPS-FM which requires that they take the importance of the schemes into account,’’ Mr Parker said.

That means in the Waiau River’s case, Environment Southland could, in certain situations, decide to maintain freshwater quality below national bottom lines to protect generation capacity, storage and operational flexibility of the scheme.

Meridian Energy owns the Manapouri Power Scheme and is working on a plan to set flow and allocation limits for the Waiau River. 

Environment Southland is also working on a plan change to set new minimum flows, with public notification expected in 2023 or 2024.

The Waiau River Care Group is seeking a return of three percent of Meridian’s water take from the Waiau River, in a bid to improve the health of the river ecosystem.

“We were disappointed but not surprised by David Parker’s position but actually, he’s lost a real opportunity to hit a sweet spot, with just a small amount of water returned to our river . . . but he is throwing our river under the bus,’’ Mr Marshall said.

Asked if national policy statement still gave the group a chance to ask Meridian or Environment Southland to increase water allocation to the Waiau River, Mr Marshall said it did.

“It is fair to say we will be lobbying and submitting on those points,’’ he said.

“It is important to keep time in perspective. If we end up losing this round, we are not going anywhere . . . My daughter is fighting and I think her daughters will fight on as well . . . We will never give up.’’

Environment Southland acting policy and planning manager Alex Morgan said the regional council would continue to engage with the group and the community over freshwater issues.

“There is a lot we still don’t know about the pending National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, the associated National Environmental Standard and regulations. 

“Members of the public, community groups and businesses alike all have an opportunity to engage with council by talking to councillors and staff or by making submissions, whether it be on a plan change or a notified resource consent,’’ Mr Morgan said.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE