$25m Water Storage Project A Step Closer

Friday, 3 October 2025, 6:09 pm
Article: Emily Ireland - Local Democracy Reporter

Another piece of the puzzle for Carterton’s water resilience has been locked in, with the successful purchase of land for a future reservoir site. 

The 42-hectare parcel of land, located at 247 Norfolk Road in the Waingawa area, was bought for $3.25 million, and would be the site of the council’s Waingawa Water Storage Project. 

It comes after the council secured $20m in loan funding in June from the Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund to support the project — including $3 million for design, consenting, and engagement, and $17 million for construction once a delivery model is confirmed. 

The total project cost is budgeted at $25m, with the council contributing $5m of co-funding. 

This project was designed to support water-intensive industries in the Waingawa Industrial Area, enable higher-value agricultural production, and improve the region’s resilience to drought and climate variability. 

The reservoir would initially store between 500,000 and 1 million cubic metres of water, with the potential to expand further in future stages. 

Carterton Mayor Ron Mark said the project would form the foundation of a strategic piece of infrastructure designed to boost water resilience and unlock economic potential across Wairarapa.

“This is a critical step in turning our vision into reality,” Mark said. 

“Securing the site gives us the certainty we need to move forward with detailed design and consenting and brings us closer to delivering a project that will benefit our district and the wider region for generations to come. 

“With support from central government, iwi, and regional stakeholders, Carterton is transforming long-held aspirations into critical infrastructure that can be duplicated to serve not only our district, but the wider Wairarapa and Wellington region.” 

For many years, water resilience had been identified as a regional priority for Wairarapa, and a lack of water security was holding back development, limiting current land-use options. 

The project would increase agriculture production on nearby land, with a 50% increase in crop yield predicted.

It would also allow pastoral land to be converted to higher-value horticultural land. 

This project was in addition to the council’s $2.7m Waingawa Process Water Plant which opened last month. 

-LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

© Scoop Media

Local Democracy Reporting

Content from the Local Democracy Reporting (LDR) service is published by Scoop as a registered New Zealand Media Outlet LDR Partner.