环境部长大卫·帕克（Hon David Parker）已向怀卡托区域议会（Waikato Regional Council）提出要求，每天从怀卡托河下游额外抽取2亿公升水用于奥克兰的饮用水以及其他市政用途。
这意味着奥克兰的额外用水申请已经根据1991年《资源管理法》（Resource Management Act 1991）第6AA部分，转交给了调查委员会（Board of Inquiry）。
“确保奥克兰未来的饮用水来源具有国家级重大意义。该申请显然会对奥克兰产生影响，但也会影响怀卡托河流本身以及相关活动。”部长说。
‘调查委员会需要考虑其他可行性方法，包括处理雨水和/或废水。从怀卡托向奥克兰取水已包括排放口的处理后雨水水源和取水上游的处理后废水。
“由三人组成的调查委员会将由现任或退休的环境法院法官领导。”
“我已经要求怀卡托河管理局提名一位调查委员会成员，根据2010年《怀卡托-塔伊努伊·拉帕图索赔（怀卡托河）解决法案》（Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act 2010）第29（5）条，该委员会有权进行调查。”
联合政府及怀卡托地区议会和汉密尔顿市议会已经与奥克兰市及其他有关方面在此问题上开展合作，帮助解决奥克兰的用水问题。
（以上为简译，仅供参考，具体内容请见原文）
英文原文
Auckland water consent referred to Board of Inquiry
Environment Minister David Parker has today “called in”Auckland’s application to the Waikato Regional Council to take an extra 200million litres of water a day from the lower reaches of the Waikato River forAuckland drinking water and other municipal uses.
The call-in means the application has been referred toa Board of Inquiry under Part 6AA of the Resource Management Act 1991.
“The future sources of drinking water for Auckland are amatter of national significance. The application obviously affects Auckland,but also other activities in the Waikato and the river itself,” David Parkersaid.
‘The Inquiry will need to consider the viability ofalternatives, including the treatment of storm and/ or waste water. Water takenfor Auckland from the Waikato already includes treated water from outfalls fromstorm water and treated waste water upstream of its take.
“The Board of Inquiry of three people will be led by acurrent or retired Environment Court judge.
“I have asked the Waikato River Authority to name anappointee to the Board of Inquiry, which it is entitled to do under section29(5) of the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act2010.”
The Government, Waikato Regional Council and Hamilton CityCouncil have been working with Auckland and other interested parties overseveral months to help resolve Auckland’s water issues.
