Irrigation Funding a Boost for South Canterbury Economy
Irrigation Funding a Boost for South Canterbury Economy
An
irrigation scheme aiming to see an increase in on-farm jobs
and
wealth across the South Canterbury region has been
awarded $640,000
from the Ministry for Primary Industries
(MPI), as part of its
Irrigation Acceleration Fund
(IAF).
The IAF funding has gone to Hunter Downs
Development Company Limited
to contribute towards its
Hunter Downs Irrigation Scheme (HDI
Scheme). The project,
which is co-funded by Meridian Energy Limited,
will
establish a design team to undertake the project’s
engineering
design, investigate farmer demand for the
scheme and raise funds for
the scheme’s further
stages.
“Once the feasibility of the project is
determined, the HDI Scheme
intends to use Waitaki water
to irrigate up to 40,000 hectares north
to Otipua. This
will service between 200 and 300 land owners within
a
total command area of 60,000 hectares,” says Hunter
Downs Irrigation
Limited Chair Andrew Fraser.
“The
HDI Scheme will provide opportunities for land
use
diversification including horticulture, sheep, beef
and dairy
farming.
“The programme of work will also
allow farmers to make informed
decisions on the
construction of the irrigation scheme, which is
expected
to commence in early 2016,” says Mr Fraser.
“This part
of South Canterbury has regular droughts. The HDI
Scheme
is a large scale infrastructure initiative that
hopes to significantly
address this problem,” says
Kevin Steel, MPI Irrigation Acceleration
Fund
Manager.
“Where agriculture is New Zealand’s largest
export earner,
irrigation infrastructure contributes
significantly to supporting the
country’s ongoing
economic growth,” says Mr Steel.
The HDI Scheme is the
outcome of seven years of collaborative work
between
Meridian Energy Ltd and the Hunter Downs Irrigation
Scheme
Trust (formerly the South Canterbury Irrigation
Trust).
ENDS