5. Allocation of Public Resources Volume One [R] Policy 5.3.11 – Have regard to the potential for any take of water to adversely affect the ability of an existing water user to continue taking water and mitigate any adverse effects by limiting, where necessary, the instantaneous rate of take. A site specific adverse effect of taking water is the potential to influence the efficiency of other water takes from the same resource. The rate of abstraction of water from a river or the method of abstraction may reduce the flow of water past an existing intake or divert water from the intake. Similarly, pumping groundwater from an aquifer draws down aquifer levels in proximity to the bore. Takes located in close proximity to the proposed intake/bore are at greatest risk in this respect. The potential for such “interference effects” exists in spite of the limits set in the MEP. This policy signals that such adverse effects can be managed by limiting the instantaneous rate of take. Any such limit would be imposed, where necessary, as a condition of the water permit. The potential for any interference effects and the scale of those effects will have to be assessed for any water permit application. Policy 5.3.12 provides for the construction of bores as a permitted activity. Conditions are set in the relevant rule requiring separation distances between bores in order to further reduce the potential for “interference effects.” The separation distance makes it less likely that the drawdown in aquifer level caused by pumping will affect the water level in another bore in the vicinity. [R] Policy 5.3.12 – Enable the construction of bores while recognising that this policy does not authorise the taking of water for any purpose other than bore testing. Bores are used as the means to access water from Marlborough’s aquifers. Rules identify that bore construction will be a permitted activity. The construction of a bore has limited potential to cause adverse effects, while still enabling groundwater to be accessed. Although the construction of a bore may be a permitted activity, the abstraction of groundwater for subsequent use may require a water permit (depending on the status of taking water under the rules). [R] Policy 5.3.13 – While seeking to manage interference effects between groundwater users, recognise that it is unreasonable to protect an existing take of groundwater when the bore does not fully penetrate the aquifer. It is not equitable to utilise Policy 5.3.11 to protect the water supply from bores that do not fully penetrate the aquifer. Any such limit would penalise the resource consent applicant for bores that are effectively too shallow. The effect of the policy is that the owner of a shallow well will have to deepen the well or construct a new well in order to protect the reliability of their own water supply. [R] Policy 5.3.14 – The duration of water permits to take water will reflect the circumstances of the take and the actual and potential adverse effects, but should generally: (a) not be less than 30 years when the take is from a water resource: (i) that has a water allocation limit specified in Schedule 1 of Appendix 6; and (ii) that has a minimum flow or level specified in Schedule 3 of Appendix 6; and (iii) that is not over-allocated; or (b) not be more than ten years when the take is from an over-allocated water resource as specified in Policy 5.5.1; or (c) not be more than ten years when the take is from a water resource that has a default environmental flow established in accordance with Policies 5.2.7 and 5.2.14. 5 – 16