From the Mayor

The end of February officially marks the close of summer.  Looking back it has been a true Wairarapa season, hot and dry.  From a lifestyle point of view it was wonderful with day after day of blue sky but farmers without irrigation are now feeling the pinch.  By now probably everybody except the orchardists would welcome a good few days of gentle rain.  Certainly from a Council point of view it can’t come soon enough.
 
Council’s urban water supplies for Martinborough, Greytown and Featherston come from aquafers recharged by the Ruamahanga and Waiohine Rivers.  As both these rivers are experiencing low flows at present, Council is required to conserve water as part of its Resource Consent conditions.  Typically this involves banning the use of sprinklers and restricting garden watering to hand-held hoses.  This all helps to keep the draw at a manageable level.
 
Sometimes though, when water restrictions are in place, we hear complaints that farmers are still irrigating their paddocks.  Greater Wellington Regional Council controls irrigation consents, not SWDC.  They are required to manage river health while still being mindful of the economic impact on farmers of water restriction or even cessation. 
 
While most of us can find alternative ways of giving our garden a drink, banning irrigation has huge consequences for both the local and national economy so this step is a last resort.