At a meeting at Omakau’s Commercial Hotel last week they laid their concerns bare as Friday’s final date for submissions on the Otago Regional Council’s five scenarios for minimum flow options on the river looms. The flow options range incrementally from 1200 litres per second (option one) up to 3000 litres per second (option five). Mr Herbert said that meant job losses, not just in the communities around the Manuherikia River but across Central Otago. His business would be impacted and he believed businesses across all of Central Otago would also be affected. Mr Herbert said a drop in population due to job losses would send all of Central Otago into negative growth.

Source: Otago Daily Times June 13, 2021 16:30 UTC