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Locals are up in arms over resource consent being granted for a 60 thousand litre a day water take from a small awa in Whangaruru
Ngatiwai and locals in Helena Bay just north of Whangarei say any application before Council for water take must seek iwi approval but Russian billionaire Alexander Abramov who owns luxury Helena Bay Lodge was allowed to by-pass the process.
Huhana Lyndon who is Ngatiwai and a local says whanau rely on the small awa for sustainance.
And at no time did Council seek analysis on cultural or environmental impact of such a high take.
"It's a little stream and with that people sustain themselves from it whether it be waatakirihi or the ability to take kai from it. Now the Russian will he be sustaining himself via his lawn? I doubt it, he's going to be keeping the grass green during the summer periods to make it appear that we don't have droughts in the summer and the unfortunate thing is that by taking water from our awa, it's yet to be taking water from our awa it's yet to be monitored to look at the impact, the cultural impact let alone the environmental impact," says Huhana Lyndon.
Alexandra Abramov's New Zealand spokesperson, Chris Steel says the Abramov whanau is 100 percent committed to supporting the community and boosting Northland's tourism.
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