INZ supportive of budget 2015 allocation to freshwater management

Irrigation New Zealand supports the government’s budget allocation to assisting councils with the implementation of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management and the 2014 National Objectives Framework, and to supporting a new collaborative approach to resolving managing freshwater.

“This will help water policy evolve into even more practical, precise and workable terms and will hopefully make the consenting and regulatory process around water storage and irrigation infrastructure development less costly and lengthy,” says Mr Curtis. “It will also give more recognition to the collaborative processes which are already happening in water catchments about future infrastructure development.

“All of this means that the $120m set aside in previous budgets for water storage and irrigation can more quickly be put to use where it is needed.

Irrigation New Zealand also believes the $25 million for the establishment of new privately led Regional Research Institutes will provide opportunities for better science and research in water and cutting edge irrigation technology.

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