Kevin Rose
I find that when talking with folk if the matter of the Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme arises, most say with some feeling they are "over the dam".
The debate (albeit at times somewhat heated) has been held, the arguments have gone back and forth, the hearing process is close to completion and now we await the notification of the volume of water uptake by users and detail as to the decisions regarding financial investment.
Vigorous argument has canvassed the rights and wrongs of investing public money in the scheme. As to this question there is not, and possibly there never will be, a common view. But councillors have given a commitment (subject to conditions) to invest up to $80 million of HBRC funds, and I support their decision.
Confident predictions were given to the information meeting held in Waipawa that the required contracts for 40 million cubic metres of water would be achieved before Christmas and that, possibly, the amount of water contracted before financial close (March 31, 2015) would be 60 per cent of that available.
I sit with those whose thinking is that the implementation of this project has potential to kickstart activity in our region that will drive economic investment, creating jobs and growth. In particular, I believe it will provide the means to offer opportunity and hope for the generations that follow us.
Although there are other benefits, primarily it is for these reasons it has my support.
It is a reasonable argument to make that with substantially increased economic activity Hawkes Bay will have a much better chance of rectifying much of the malaise afflicting this region because of current poor economic/social performance.
It is worth reviewing the evolution of the council's interest in water harvesting.
The idea is not new. In 1999, during my first term as a regional councillor there were submissions to the council advocating construction of a dam to augment water supply during periods of drought. I clearly recall an engineer by the name of Mr Stewart making strong and compelling submissions on this subject. Early in 2000, some councillors who held an interest in water storage, with appropriate staff, looked at a number of sites that we thought could be used for placing a dam.
Water storage remained on the radar until about 2008/9 when council under the chairmanship of Rex McIntyre and then Alan Dick took a much more detailed and comprehensive look at the possible benefits to the region if HBRC was the driver in establishing a water storage facility. The majority of councillors of the day believed such a scheme would take the pressure off ground water extraction, assist the health of the Tukituki River, and create a vehicle that would drive economic growth, not just in Central Hawke's Bay but throughout the region.
Such was the genesis of the RWSS.
Then the debate and argument commenced. I guess it was always going to happen. And, in a democratic and free society, I uphold the right of people to either offer opinions, applaud and compliment or criticise and complain.
Certainly there is no doubt that all of the above has occurred.
For four years I served on the leadership committee that was charged with the oversight of the RWSS project.
It was a massive job and one that was taken seriously. Despite (or some may argue, because of) all the politicking, a huge amount of work went on to ensure that Hawke's Bay would get the best return from this investment in time, energy and money.
Believe me it was not a task for the faint-hearted, but I was comfortable with what we had achieved before I left office.
Certainly, the project has not got universal approval, and continues to have its critics.
As has occurred in the South Island, time may convince some of its worth but, probably, others never will cross that line and I respect that.
But there is a point in time when a community has to say that it is time for the debate and argument to cease, and although I know that some will vehemently disagree with me - I say "it is now time to move on".
Recently, comments have been made by some regional councillors that, in my view, smack of desperation in attempting to frustrate the progress of the scheme. This is not helpful and it draws attention to their lack of knowledge of farming matters and mechanics of the working of the scheme.
As Hugh Ritchie said at the Waipawa meeting, the time is now, people. Amen to that. Let's get on and make it happen.
-Kevin Rose is a Justice of the Peace and a former Hawke's Bay Regional councillor.
-Business and civic leaders, organisers, experts in their field and interest groups can contribute opinions.
Email: editor@hbtoday.co.nz. All views expressed are those of the writer, not the newspaper.