Taranaki region

There are currently seventeen water take consents in the Waitara catchment and they are for a large variety of purposes. Three are for community water supplies which are run by the local Councils and there is one for stock purposes. Seven relate to the oil and gas industry, with five being for hydrocarbon exploration and two for petrochemical processing. Three relate to irrigation with two for pasture and one for horticultural purposes. These three consents have requirements that the taking of water must cease when mean annual low flow is reached. The biggest user in the catchment is for Hydro Electric generation and there are three consents for this purpose. Water is diverted from the Manganui river in Tariki and is taken to Lake Ratapiko where it is used for power generation. It is then discharged into the Makara stream which flows into the Waitara River in Tarata. This means there is a significant section of the Manganui River that is subject to no flow variability for extended periods of time.

There are also four groundwater take consents, with three of these being for farm water supply purposes. The other is for Hydrocarbon Exploration purposes.

The Waitara Catchment is the parent catchmentof the Manganui River, the Maketawa Stream, and the Ngatoro Stream which are recognised in the Regional Freshwater Plan as having high natural values, with special rules applying to the Manganui River and Maketawa Stream. The Waitara catchment is a very popular and highly valued angling catchment and highly rated for its recreational, aesthetic and scenic values.