Rising demand for avocados could threaten water levels in Aupōuri, Northland

Wednesday, 18 December 2019

Aupōuri Peninsula residents are concerned massive water takes for avocados could ruin their aquifer. Video first published January 15, 2020.

An insatiable appetite for avocados could threaten both water quality and land stability in New Zealand's Far North, according to locals.

Residents of Aupōuri Peninsula fear water levels in the unique aquifer under their land could drop so much that salt water runs in, wetlands run dry or the ground above the aquifer subsides, due to requests to take massive amounts of water needed to feed orchards.

But orchardists say they have to trust the science of specialised hydrologists, who calculate the water being taken as just a fraction of what flows into the aquifer each year.

Avocados trees don't like wet roots but they do need regular water to grow (file photo).

Concerns were first raised in 2017, when 17 landowners known as the Motutangi-Waiharara Water Users Group applied to Northland Regional Council to take two million cubic metres of water each year, mostly for large-scale avocado orchards.

**READ MORE:

An avocado orchard in Motutangi is being developed with planting stretching as far as the eye can see.

* Guacamole lovers rejoice: Avocado prices keep plummeting

* Avocado growers in Environment Court water fight over wetland's aquifer source

Karyn Nikora-Kerr says Aupouri residents are fearful of what could happen to their aquifer.

* Waitangi Tribunal sets pre-election test over fresh water

* Opinion: Water is the new gold for New Zealand**

The consents were considered by independent commissioners then appealed to the Environment Court, with input from the Department of Conservation.

In August 2019, the court ruled there needed to be strict monitoring of salinity (salt content in water), groundwater levels and wetland conditions over nine years - with the water take starting with just a quarter of the 2m cubic metre total and increasing over four years.

But just months after the Environment Court decision was finalised, the regional council notified a water application from a second block of applicants - this time 24 landowners requesting 6.2 million cubic metres of water each year.

A group of residents meet in Houhora to share their concerns for the Aupōuri Aquifer.

Resident Karyn Nikora-Kerr said she calculated the water take to be enough water for 686,000 people to drink and cook with each day.

She felt the regional council should have stuck to the Environment Court decision and not allowed any more applications until the nine-year monitoring period was finished.

Gabriele Pfaender says local wetlands are sensitive to even the slightest change in water level or quality.

The stakes were high, with over-used aquifers risking salt water intrusion, which cannot be stopped when it starts, Nikora-Kerr said.

'I don't know if you like drinking salt but I don't and nobody else [does]; it's not going to work.'

The fernbird was one of the rare birds found in the Kaimaumau wetlands (file photo).

Nikora-Kerr said the community's use of water was also at risk, with a possibility of existing shallow bores running dry.

Waihopo resident Johnda Subritzky had already noticed her bore was now taking seven minutes to prime, when she never used to have to prime it before.

Wind breaks provide shelter for avocado trees near Pukenui but the orchards also need water.

The strength of the community concern was shown when Stuff met more than a dozen Houhora residents who attended a quickly-arranged weekday meeting to share their thoughts.

West coast resident Gabriele Pfaender said she was most concerned about the impact on the environment.

Lowering the water level in the aquifer could impact the sensitive Kaimaumau wetlands, which was a Significant Natural Area hosting mudfish, eels and rare birds. It could also impact the area's rare dune lakes.

Waiharara resident Wendy Thomas said the applications had the potential to spoil the whole peninsula if the calculations were wrong.

'The stakes are as high as they could possibly be - they've got to get it right.'

Carol Wagener demonstrates t-shirts made by those opposing water takes from the Aupouri Aquifer.

EFFECTS NO MORE THAN MINOR

Northland Regional Council's initial assessment of the 24 applications to take 6.2m cubic meters was the environmental impact would be no more than minor, although it could adversely effect shallow bores.

Houhora Harbour is a magestic spot, enjoyed by locals and summer holidaymarkers.

But on December 19, the regional council admitted it found inaccuracies in its historical bore data, which meant there was less water in the aquifer than previously thought.

The water in a bore in Houhora was 2.5m lower than first thought and regional council staff were scrambling to recalculate what this meant.

Resident Bill Morris says he would like water to be available for households if needed.

A total of 101 people submitted on the application - just two were for the proposals - and they will be heard by independent commissioners, likely in the first quarter of 2020.

Williamson Water & Land Advisory, a groundwater expert acting on behalf of 23 applicants, said the water extraction was just a fraction of the 374 million cubic metres which 'recharges' the aquifer through rainwater each year.

It said the water take would be sustainable, even in the worst case scenario of a one-in-50-year drought.

But geologist Dr Alan Nunns, who also owned property in the area, said the proposed water takes were a 'significant' proportion of the estimated recharge rate, which came by rainfall over a narrow strip of land, which could be reduced by climate change.

The Aupouri Peninsula has been on the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research's (Niwa) 'hot spot watch' since November and is permanently in a restricted fire season.

'WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT WATER'

One of the applications was from Te Aupōuri Commercial Development, the trading arm of Te Aupōuri iwi.

It is applying for 1.7 million cubic metres of water a year to develop 260ha of beef farm from its Treaty of Waitangi settlement into horticulture and market gardening.

The company had not decided what would be grown - avocados were a possibility - but it depended on the water, said manager Geraldine Baker.

'We can't do anything without water,' she said.

Baker said the aim was to make the land productive, both to make money and create local jobs in the area.

But Te Aupōuri also had concerns about the water allocation and submitted against the Motutangi-Waiharara Water Users Group.

Baker said she would like to see a fairer way to allocate the water, other than the 'first in, first served' basis.

Another iwi, Te Rarawa, was also applying for water, although the 776,000 cubic metre request was a re-allocation, chairman Haami Piripi said.

The water was used on the iwi's dairy farm, which used the best irrigation technology to ensure watering was efficient, he said.

The iwi was also looking to build a storage dam, so it could use water from the Awanui River when flooding.

Piripi said sustainability of the aquifer was a key issue but the Te Rarawa had to trust the hydrology experts.

'We're very conscious of it because we can see the long-term effects and we want to make sure it's there for a long-term resource.'