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Bay of Plenty region

Surface Water Zone: Tauranga Harbour

This area has the fastest-growing population in the region. Our Western Water Sustainability Strategy has predicted water demand here to almost double between 2005 and 2055.

Two-thirds of regional employment growth in the past 10 years has happened in the Tauranga area. Increasing urban development and land use intensification in this catchment is likely to place more stress on surface waters, with changes to water quality, habitat modification and flow regimes. There are more than 1000 kiwifruit blocks and 73 dairy farms in this area.

Sub-catchment action plans have been developed and delivered for this catchment area, as well as the Tauranga Harbour Integrated Management Strategy (2006) and the Western Water Sustainability Strategy.

Nearly all surface water catchments are allocated above the default policy (10 percent of the Q5 seven-day low flow) in the Regional Natural Resources Plan. Major consented activities that use water include hydroelectricity, municipal supply and horticultural irrigation. There is plentiful water available in deep ignimbrite aquifers and water available in most shallow aquifers, although some allocation may be affecting recharge of other aquifers or reducing base flow to streams.

A major issue is managing over-allocation while enabling population and economic growth. Initial studies into groundwater characteristics have been completed. 

 

Water Use
Surface Water in this Zone

Regional councils collect information about how much water is available and manage resource consents for those wishing to take water from rivers and streams. Use the buttons below to view information on: how much water is available, where it comes from and how its used.

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Rainfall {{waterAvailable.rainfall}} Runoff to sea {{waterAvailable.runoff}} Surface Water available: {{waterSource.availableToAllocate}} Irrigation
{{waterUsage.irrigationLabel}} Industrial
{{waterUsage.industrialLabel}} Stock
{{waterUsage.stockLabel}} Hydroelectrical
{{waterUsage.hydroLabel}} Town supply
{{waterUsage.drinkingLabel}}
  • How much surface water is there in this zone?

    Rainfall and flow in this surface water zone

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    Rainfall and runoff

    Relative breakdown Source Volume
    Rainfall total:
    {{waterAvailable.rainfall }}
         		rainfall Rainfall Total {{waterAvailable.rainfall}}
    Runoff total:
    {{waterAvailable.runoff }}
         		runoff Runoff to sea {{waterAvailable.runoff}}

    The table above shows the average amount of rainfall the water management zone receives each year and how much of that flows out to sea. These are approximate figures only.

  • Water consents: How much water is consented and used?

    Surface water available to consent

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    Consented water in this surface water zone

    Use the tables below to look at how much water is available compared with how much is actually consented within this water management zone. Click the plus to expand subzones where available

    {{item.zoneId}}
    Comparing consents and use
    Amount available to consent In this surface water management zone:
    {{item.data.totalAvailableAmount}} {{item.data.totalAvailableUnits}}
    available to consent
    Amount consented
    measured and non measured
    Amount used (measured)
    Amount Units Consented or used as a percentage of available
    Total available to consent {{item.data.totalAvailableAmount}} {{item.data.totalAvailableAmount}} {{item.data.totalAvailableUnits}}
    Total consented {{item.data.totalConsented.amount}} {{item.data.totalConsented.amount}} {{item.data.totalAvailableUnits}} {{item.data.totalConsented.percentText}}
    Total consented and measured {{item.data.totalMeasured.amount}} {{item.data.totalMeasured.amount}} {{item.data.totalAvailableUnits}} {{item.data.totalMeasured.percentText}}
    Total measured amount used {{item.data.totalAmountUsed.amount}} {{item.data.totalAvailableUnits}} {{item.data.totalAmountUsed.percentText}}
    Total measured volume used {{item.data.totalAnnualVolumeUsed}} {{item.data.totalAnnualVolumeUnits}}

    The table above shows the amount of water that is available for use compared to the amount that has been consented. The ‘Total Consented’ and ‘Total Consented and Measured’ fields are based on percentages of the ‘Total available to Consent’ field. If this field is not populated no data will be displayed. Some consents require actual use to be monitored and this is presented as 'Total measured volume Used' where available.

    Bay of Plenty Regional Council is currently compiling and moving consent data into a new database. Once this process is completed, detailed consent information missing from the table above will be made available.

    At present we can provide the following regional summary information:

    Bay of Plenty Regional Council manages more than 1300 consents to take and use water from ground and surface water sources. 

    Horticulture is the predominant activity, followed by potable/commercial use and agriculture.

    Of the current consents, approximately 45 percent were granted before the enactment of the RMA in 1991 and therefore have a 35-year term (expiry in 2026). New consent terms are granted a 10-year term with monitoring and review conditions.

    Summary consent information suggests a number of surface and groundwater sources are allocated above the current defined allocable flows. In 2013, nearly two-thirds of Bay of Plenty streams and one-fifth of its aquifers were allocated above default limits. Initial analysis and observation of surface and groundwater suggests the current levels of allocation are not having a widespread negative impact on water resources, but further monitoring and science to improve understanding is under way.

  • Water consents: How is consented water used?

    Consents by use in this surface water zone

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    Consented water

    Overall annual volume for {{waterAvailable.year}}
    Relative breakdown
    Activity Percentage of total consented Total volume Number of consents
    {{item.displayText}} {{item.displayText}} - - No data available {{item.breakdownPercentage}}% {{item.totalVolume}} m3 {{item.numberOfConsents}}
    Total {{waterUsage.total.percentageConsented}}% {{waterUsage.total.totalVolume}} m3 {{waterUsage.total.numberOfConsents}}

    The above table shows the proportion of water consented for irrigation, industrial, stock, town supply and other. It excludes hydro electricity. In this region/management zone {{hydroUsage.totalVolume}} m3/year is consented for hydro-electricity and makes up {{hydroUsage.percentageConsented}}% of the total water volume consented for this region/management zone

    Bay of Plenty Regional Council is currently compiling and moving consent data into a new database. Once this process is completed, detailed consent information missing from the table above will be made available.

    At present we can provide the following regional summary information:

    Bay of Plenty Regional Council manages more than 1300 consents to take and use water from ground and surface water sources. 

    Horticulture is the predominant activity, followed by potable/commercial use and agriculture.

    Of the current consents, approximately 45 percent were granted before the enactment of the RMA in 1991 and therefore have a 35-year term (expiry in 2026). New consent terms are granted a 10-year term with monitoring and review conditions.

    Summary consent information suggests a number of surface and groundwater sources are allocated above the current defined allocable flows. In 2013, nearly two-thirds of Bay of Plenty streams and one-fifth of its aquifers were allocated above default limits. Initial analysis and observation of surface and groundwater suggests the current levels of allocation are not having a widespread negative impact on water resources, but further monitoring and science to improve understanding is under way.

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