Well Done South Canterbury

Well Done South Canterbury

1 November 2007

Federated Farmers joins with the community of South Canterbury in congratulating all those that helped develop the very successful Opuha dam project.

The dam’s benefit to the community includes hydro electric generation, a community water scheme, a greatly enhanced downstream river system, and assured irrigation to farming.

“We congratulate the South Canterbury community for an outstanding co-operative effort that has paved the way for a sustainable farming system for many years to come,” said Federated Farmers’ national board member Donald Aubrey.

“Without the support of key community people the vision of local farmers could never have been realised. This is an example of what can be achieved when a district pulls together, said Mr Aubrey.

Partnership company chairman Tom Lambie said: “This is an achievement well worth celebrating. Since the dam opened in the late 1990s, more than 16,000 ha of new irrigated land has added 480 jobs, and injects $145 million dollars into the South Canterbury economy each year.

This Saturday (November 3) the South Canterbury community is celebrating full farmer ownership of the dam company, since purchasing the interests of Alpine Energy earlier this year, and ten years of operation. The celebration includes a black-tie event, “That Dam Ball”.

“Federated Farmers sees the Opuha dam as being the life blood of rural South Canterbury and an achievement well worth celebrating,” Mr Aubrey said.

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