4. JO GOODHEW (National—Rangitata) Link to this
to the Minister of Agriculture
What measures has the Government recently taken to progress community irrigation schemes?
Hon DAVID CARTER (Minister of Agriculture) Link to this
Recently the Government announced changes to the Community Irrigation Fund. These changes will remove many of the common blockages to the development of community irrigation schemes. They are aimed squarely at fast tracking reliable but environmentally sound irrigation schemes, which are a clear priority for this Government.
Water is perhaps our greatest natural advantage and has huge economic potential, which is why accelerating water storage and irrigation is an important part of the Government’s economic growth agenda. In Canterbury alone, irrigation currently adds approximately $800 million each year to the regional economy. There is real potential for a much greater contribution from Canterbury and from throughout New Zealand. However, I stress that this is not about irrigation at any cost; any new schemes will have to meet very high environmental standards.
What other steps is the Government taking to progress environmentally and economically sensible irrigation projects?
The Government has a major work programme under way to progress better water management. Aside from expanding the Community Irrigation Fund, we have established the Land and Water Forum, which is due to report to the Government shortly; we have reformed the Resource Management Act; we have appointed commissioners to deal with Canterbury’s water issues; and, finally, we have made it clear that once the regulatory roadblocks are addressed, and if all the commercial options are exhausted, we as a Government would consider financial assistance in order to get things moving.