IrrigationNZ praises support for Wairarapa water study

IrrigationNZ has praised a grant announced today by the Irrigation Acceleration Fund (IAF) – supporting a study into new water infrastructure for the Wairarapa.

The Wairarapa Water Use Project (WWUP) has been given half of the $2.5million cost towards investigations into developing long-term rural water infrastructure, including water storage. Only around 10,000 hectares is currently irrigated in Wairarapa Valley, but the project will look at the viability of increasing that to between 30,000 to 50,000 hectares.

“This is the sixth investment the IAF has made since its inception and the first to benefit the Wairarapa. Like much of the East Coast of New Zealand, the region is prone to extreme dry conditions and drought during summer. A feasibility study into a more sustainable water supply which also provides storage for irrigation will be of huge benefit to the community,” says IrrigationNZ CEO Andrew Curtis.

“This is an area that offers a lot of potential for agricultural production and existing growers, farmers and viticulturists are extremely keen to see future water options explored,” says Mr Curtis.
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