In response to Auckland's drought, the city will now receive millions of litres of water from the Waikato River.
Auckland City has been granted a 20-year resource consent to draw an additional 150 million litres a day from the Waikato River for its water supply network, the Environmental Protection Authority has announced.
This means Auckland will receive a total 300 litres of water from the river a day, as there is still an existing resource consent for 150 million litres remaining.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said he is grateful for the decision.
"With population growth and the impact of climate change meaning more frequent and extreme drought, we have to be able to guarantee the reliability and resilience of the city’s water supply," Goff said in a statement.
"Drawing water from the Waikato River before it is discharged into the sea does not affect the wellbeing of the river nor other applicants for water use, dropping the level of the river by just a few centimetres where it runs around six metres deep."
The application was from the Auckland Council organisation Watercare Services Ltd.
The decision report said the need for water came from the Auckland region experiencing extreme drought from the end of 2019 to mid-2021, with water restrictions imposed by the council in May 2020.
Watercare said in the report water from the Waikato River is the preferred option to meet Auckland's water demand for reasons of security of supply, cost and lower carbon footprint.
It was not a unanimous decision by a Board of Inquiry of 2-1.
"The Board wish to express their shared view that this is a finely balanced decision and there is only a small difference of opinion as to the most appropriate outcome," the board said.
The board sought a 35-year limit for the allocation but was only given 20 years.
The application comes with conditions and can be reviewed every five years by the Waikato Regional Council.
Under the conditions, an executive committee must be established to investigate options to reduce the volume of water taken from the river and taangata whenua must be invited to join the committee.
Watercare chief executive Jon Lamonte said the application took many years.
"Securing this consent for the people of Auckland has required a marathon effort... At times the conversations have been challenging and confronting but I think we’ve emerged from this process stronger and with a desire to work collaboratively for the good of the awa," Lamonte said.
He said through Waikato River partnerships, they are going to invest $2 million each year on projects that restore the awa and its tributaries.
Lamonte says work on building a new permanent water treatment plant is underway.
"In time, we will need to build a second pipeline to the city."
He urges Aucklanders to be mindful of their water consumption.
