Water export from Deep Cove, Fiordland: Implications for national park values : Written report submitted to the Centre for Resource Management in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Diploma in Natural Resources

Abstract

Worldwide the transshipment of fresh water of fresh water for commercial utilisation has received increasing attention in recent years. At present freshwater trade constitutes a comparatively insignificant industry. However, growing freshwater demand for drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes may in the future expand the already existing market. As the quality groundwater supplies are becoming scarcer - a tendency which has been reported from countries such as West Germany - some industrial nations may experience further drinking water shortage.

With its plentiful supply of high quality freshwater, New Zealand is in a good market position to cater for the potential overseas demand. The proposition to trade natural water on a commercial basis therefore appears an attractive option, which could stimulate the country's export market.

Natural water is a renewable resource, which as a common property is shared by the people New Zealand. Any trading proposal therefore has to ensure that the public interest is s guarded when export decisions are made. In a practical sense this requires decision makers to ensure that the social benefits from water trade are maximized, while environmental costs are kept to a minimum.

This report is concerned with the proposal by Triune Resources Corporation, Delaware, United States, to export water from Deep Cove, Doubtful Sound to overseas destinations. The location of the proposed project in the centre of New Zealand's largest National Park makes a careful assessment of environmental implications a priority planning requirement. This report aims to contribute towards such assessment by investigating the impact of the proposal on aesthetic, recreational and conservational values associated with Fiordland National Park.