Argyll farmer Jerry Greer, pictured with some of his Wagyu steers, supports the Ruataniwha Dam. Photo / Duncan Brown
Members of a Central Hawke's Bay farmers group who have been involved in the Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme process since its early days say they hope the newly elected Hawke's Bay Regional Council continues to progress the project.
The recent election, which saw so-called anti-dam candidates become the majority at the Hawke's Bay Regional Council, has caused some disquiet about the future of the project among farmers and others in CHB, said Argyll farmer and Ruataniwha water user group member Jerry Greer.
"A lot of people in Central Hawke's Bay are very concerned - we have got that far down the track now, at a large expense, we don't want it stopped."
Jerry was one of the first farmers in the district to sign up to take water to irrigate 100ha of a 720ha beef finishing operation of three blocks, and said he and others were frustrated with the delays.
He said the returning members of the regional council had all the information, and he challenged them to actually go to Central Hawke's Bay and talk to the farmers.
"Great things don't only grow on the Heretaunga plains, they grow on the Ruataniwha plains as well."
He also dismissed concerns that the dam would mean a lot of dairy farm conversions.
"The talk about it all going to dairying is rubbish. We looked at converting one of our farms - water aside, the cost of conversion was horrific - we bought an existing dairy farm which was a lot cheaper."
Takapau crop, sheep and beef farmer, current irrigator and group member Richard Dakins said the issue was starting to become emotive, and an "us and them" argument rather than factual.
"I would like to think that the new council would work constructively for the betterment of Hawke's Bay and this dam will benefit the wider region not just Central Hawke's Bay."
He warned about the consequences of Plan Change 6 coming into effect without the dam component.
"Plan Change 6 is coming hot on our heels now - if the dam is not part of it, it will raise some serious issues. The minimum flows will have to be raised by 2018, and the dam was one of the tools supposed to help those surface takes. The council would find they have a real headache meeting these new requirements without the scheme."
Group chairman Duncan Holden, an Ongaonga sheep, beef, deer and crop farmer, and irrigator said it was important for the new council to work with farmers.
"Farmers are putting a lot of planning into this - there's livelihoods at stake and it would be good if all the councillors came to Central Hawke's Bay and met with farmers to have an open discussion.
A lot of people in Central Hawke's Bay are very concerned - we have got that far down the track now, at a large expense, we don't want it stopped.
"We would like to have an input, and they need to be open with us - if it looks like the dam is not going to go ahead, we need to know."
Isaac's Pumping & Electrical co-owner Gavin Streeter had been vocal in his support for the dam, to the extent that he helped organise the "Don't Damn our Dam" rally in Waipukurau in 2014.
He said he had been to every meeting about the project over the years and was disappointed that its complexities had not been explained properly to the public.
"I get frustrated because most of the negative comments against the scheme come from people who don't understand it, and don't understand the environment in Central Hawke's Bay."
He noted that all work that had been done on the project so far had been thoroughly peer-reviewed, and that it had the potential to improve the environment.
"It's not just progress for progress's sake."
Newly elected regional council chairman Rex Graham said he would be happy to meet with CHB farmers, as long as it didn't turn into an argument.
"We all strongly support water storage but some of us think this particular model is not the right one."
He said the council was not responsible for the fact the promoters were in court with Forest and Bird, nor the fact that there was no commercial investor, or that only 42.8 million cubic metres of water had been sold to date.
"We want a pause - we want to examine why the farmers did not buy 60 million cubic metres, why there's no commercial investor - it's a gross exaggeration to say the dam is nearly there - it's miles away and that's got nothing to do with us."