Water Race Review
Council provides two stock water races, the Moroa Race near Greytown and the Longwood Race near Featherston, which intake water from the Waiohine and Tauwharenikau rivers respectively, to provide stock drinking water to surrounding farmland.
The races have been in existence since about 1930 (for Longwood) and 1890 (for Moroa). The Moroa Race is 240kim long and services 8500ha of farmland. The Longwood Race is much shorter at 40km and services 1500ha of farmland.
Click here to view the Moroa Race service area
Click here to view the Longwood service area
Click here to view the flow rate information for the water races
Water Race Review – Community engagement
The water race user survey, to help us better understand how water races are used and plan for the future, closed on 15 March 2021. The response rate was high, a near 40 per cent response rate, and found that the races were still well used for stormwater management or watering stock. Further, there was real concern that the races would be closed down. The Council continues to engage with Greater Wellington on water races as a national issue.
Water Race Subcommittee
At the start of the 2019-22 triennium, the Mayor re-established the Water Race Subcommittee. The Terms of Reference of the Subcommittee includes reviewing the Council’s service delivery for water races, and seeking to understand which ratepayers would like to continue to participate and what is an equitable rating methodology.
Members
Colin Olds (Chair)
Justine Thorpe (Moroa Water Race rep)
Paul Harvey (Moroa Water Race rep)
Frank van Steensel (Moroa Water Race rep)
Dennis Hodder (Longwood Water Race rep)
Cr Rebecca Fox (Council representative)
Bylaws
Longwood Water Race By-law 1936
Moroa Water Race By-law 2007
