Makauri Aquifer Recharge Ltd will receive a loan of up to $3m to build water infrastructure to replenish the Makauri aquifer in Tairāwhiti, intended to deliver a more reliable water supply for primary production on fertile Tūranganui-a-Kiwa / Poverty Bay Flats, near the Waipaoa River.
According to information published by Gisborne District Council, the Makauri aquifer is the largest aquifer beneath the flats, extending from Kaiteratahi down to Makaraka and spanning both sides of the Waipaoa River.
Scientific trials for a Makauri managed aquifer recharge project took place from 2017 to 2020, aiming to inject water from the Waipaoa River into the Makauri aquifer to ensure its ongoing use for irrigation of 3000 hectares of horticultural farmland.
Those trials were funded by the Provincial Growth Fund, Trust Tairāwhiti and the council at the time.
In Wairoa, Tātau Tātau Horticulture Ltd Partnership will receive a $6.83m loan to expand its existing water storage capacity and establish a scalable post-harvest facility. It follows $1m received from the Māori Development Fund.
Ngāti Pahauwera Commercial Development Ltd will receive a $2.36m loan to develop a 42,000cu m water storage reservoir and distribution infrastructure to convert 30ha of whenua Māori into commercially competitive pipfruit orchards in the Wairoa district.
Wairoa District Council-owned engineering firm Quality Roading Services (QRS) will receive a $500,000 grant to strengthen flood protection around its operations hub and depot.
“This investment from the Regional Infrastructure Fund [RIF] will help grow these regional economies by further enabling and unlocking high-value horticulture development that supports regional employment, productivity and export growth while also strengthening regional resilience to economic shocks, and weather events such as storms and droughts,” Jones said in a statement.
He said the coalition Government was “focused on strengthening and growing” the economy, and supporting regions to succeed was a key part of that.
“That’s why we’re paying close attention to areas like the East Coast, where geographic isolation can make these communities especially vulnerable during extreme weather events, with limited access to infrastructure and disrupted supply chains posing significant challenges,” he said.
“Three of these projects directly address the growing need for water access year-round to support our expanding horticulture exports and enhance productivity,” said Jones.
Looking ahead, Jones told the Gisborne Herald he had met Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stotlz and district council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann, and had encouraged the council to develop a proposal for a collaborative effort between it and Kanoa for infrastructure resilience.
“If there are projects available that [can] have picks and shovels in the ground Asap, without protracted processes getting a resource consent, then that is obviously good for the coast and fulfils a key part of the RIF fund,” Jones said.
“When I think of Gisborne and the Coast, the freezing works used to exist here, Watties used to exist here. If we are going to recover that former economic momentum, then we need to work collaboratively and invest in new industries.”
When asked if there could be opportunities for RIF investment into the Tairāwhiti’s health infrastructure, Jones pointed to the Mātai Medical Research Institute as a previous recipient of Provincial Growth Fund money.
“I’ve asked my officials to continue engaging with Mātai to identify how we might be able to accelerate its development.”
