Government Invests $56 Million in Rural Canterbury Water Resilience Projects for Increased Productivity and Climate Adaptation

The Government is investing more than $56 million into water resilience projects in rural Canterbury to help protect against changing weather patterns and increase productivity through higher value land use, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson say.

Ease of access to water is a top priority for Canterbury’s rural communities, Mr Jones says.

Canterbury has so far avoided the extreme drought experienced in previous years, thanks in part to high rainfall over December and January. However, it is still critical that the region future-proofs its water supply.

The three projects receiving loans through the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) are: Opuha Dam and Irrigation Scheme upgrade – up to $20.8m to upgrade Opuha Dam Balmoral Water Storage Facility (Amuri) – up to $20m to build a pond to store up to 10 million cu m for an existing irrigation scheme where resource consents are already held to divert, take, use, and discharge water to land in Amuri Basin.

Waimakariri Irrigation Scheme – up to $15.6m to develop a large-scale storage facility to improve water reliability through the existing Waimakariri Irrigation Scheme.

Mr Patterson was at an event in Cust, along with close to a 100 farmers and other stakeholders to announce the funding.

In recent years Canterbury has faced increasingly longer and dryer periods. Last August I was nearby Rangiora to announce additional support for farmers dealing with drought, Mr Patterson says.

Opuha Dam is a vital regional asset which needs an upgrade to extend its life and address flood management, water quality and seismic risks. Today’s funding will ensure this critical work goes ahead, Mr Patterson says.

As well as irrigating farms, the dam has enabled growth in downstream industries such as vegetable and dairy processing while helping preserve the river environment.

The Balmoral project will ensure a more reliable water supply for farmers, providing more certainty to continue investing in diversified land use and high-value food production.

The need for a more reliable water supply was also a key driver for the Waimakariri Irrigation Scheme. The project will enable water diverted from Waimakariri River when it is plentiful to be stored in ponds and used all year, Mr Patterson says.

Each of these projects has its own geographical boundary within which it operates but combined they provide a significant boost to the region’s broader water resilience and supply for the primary production sector, Mr Jones says.

Editors’ note: The  Regional Infrastructure Fund is a capital fund with the primary purpose of accelerating infrastructure projects, with a focus on water storage, energy, and resilience that will make a difference in the regions.

Funding is approved in principle and announced, after which contracts are negotiated. Some funding may depend on completion of business cases. Payments are made once agreed milestones are met. These are set as part of contract negotiations and differ from project to project.