So what's available to us at the moment? The dam is obviously been stated as a game changer and that's exactly what it is. Not only for Central Hawke's Bay but the whole of Hawke's Bay and it sets a precedent for New Zealand.
Here is a project that came about initially for one reason and one reason only - the state of the Tukituki River. Why has this been questioned?
There is lots of speculation but I'll tell you just the one answer that matters. Low flows.
And in case you don't get it that means not enough water flowing down the river during summer dry and drought periods.
Nationwide, dairy farmers are blamed for poor water quality in our rivers.
Undoubtedly other areas of New Zealand are predominantly dairy farming areas and it is hard to spot the sheep, but not so in Hawke's Bay.
Drive through Hawke's Bay and show me where the large concentrations of dairy farmers are? There isn't any. So if there is an issue of quality, then why?
This argument is going down the track of the global warming debate. They had to change it to climate change because the earth stopped warming at the rate they alarmed us into thinking it was. Don't get me wrong, change is happening. So many droughts over the last few years seemed to have proved that. But the preachers spoke too soon before being fully informed.
We need to change. The world is a fast moving place, technologies improve what we do all the time and as sure as the next El Nino is approaching us, we will have another drought not if, but when.
Let's adapt what we do, progress and turn our rural community's fortunes around.
Will Foley is Federated Farmers' Hawke's Bay president
