“This is the boost we have been needing since Wairarapa Water was established in July last year when Crown Irrigation Investments was scrapped and Greater Wellington Regional Council involvement in the project wound up,” inaugural chairman Tim Lusk said.
“We have just kept our heads down until we got some funding. It’s taken a while to get through the transition but we can tick that box now and use this funding to progress the project.”
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $800,000 to investigate the development and construction of a $100 million community water storage scheme to unlock environmentally sustainable economic growth opportunities.
The money will support a review and update of a 2015 pre-feasibility study that investigated and identified potential water storage sites.
It will be a part of a $1.2m feasibility budget.
“It will get us through to a point that can we can determine with key stakeholders whether we continue through to a consent,” Lusk said.
Of the seven options investigated by the regional council the Wakamoekau option northwest of Masterton on the Ruamahanga River was found most favourable in terms of the PGF application.
“We ended up selecting this option as, while smaller, it was the most attractive and best ticked most of the boxes.”
It also aligned the study to recent climate change projections and Government policies regarding small-scale water storage schemes for communities, Lusk said.
“This funding is a critical step now to bringing previous feasibility work up to date in terms of construction costs and recommendations around minimum flows and climate change.”
The council and Crown Irrigation spent $8m on investigations eight years.
Feasibility work will happen over the next four months and will be done in collaboration with the regional council and the Masterton, Carterton and South Wairarapa District Councils.
“We will then decide with councils whether we push further and prepare for a consent.”
The Government support will help gain the confidence of communities and potential investors.
“We were struggling to get funding after Greater Wellington finished. This support of central government will be very helpful in getting others involved and also to leverage with private water users in a few months’ time.”
The region’s water supply is becoming unpredictable, particularly in summer.
Without it local businesses relying on water could be increasingly limited in their ability to operate and grow.
Lusk said it is a significant opportunity for farmers to transition to the higher-value crops climate change and water security will unlock.
Research has shown that in the next 25 years an extra 1000 hectares of apples can expect to generate 1300 more jobs and $81m a year in GDP for the region.
But a reliable water supply will be needed.
The project has the potential to provide up to 18 million cubic litres of stored water.
A reliable water supply would attract new industries, supplement domestic water supplies and mitigate the impacts of drought.
