It saddens me to think of our apple trees dying and our bountiful region going backwards, writes MP Catherine Wedd. Photo / Giuseppe Cuzzocre, Unsplash
It saddens me to think of our apple trees dying and our bountiful region going backwards, writes MP Catherine Wedd. Photo / Giuseppe Cuzzocre, Unsplash
* Catherine Wedd is a National Party MP, and the MP for Tukituki. For another view on dams in Hawke’s Bay, see Rex Graham’s view here.
OPINION
Large-scale water storage is the only way forward for Hawke’s Bay.
I was a big fan of the Ruataniwha Dam andI still am. In fact, I lined the street with thousands of others when the region rallied in support of the dam.
My view on large-scale water storage hasn’t changed. I have been communicating that both here in Hawkes Bay and in Wellington, as a Member of Parliament.
Already my colleagues laugh at how many times I proudly mention “Hastings the Fruitbowl of New Zealand” in my parliamentary speeches in Wellington.
National MP for Tukituki Catherine Wedd.
But now our iconic region is at risk of being the “dustbowl”, because the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is significantly reducing water allocations across the Heretaunga Plains.
We know with a changing climate and increased adverse weather events, that growers will no longer be able to grow their current crops let alone increase production, which will have a devastating impact on our economy.
It saddens me to think of our apple trees dying and our bountiful region going backwards.
Water is the lifeblood of Hawke’s Bay, but in the peak of summer when our crops need it the most, there is not enough to go around.
And as climate change is fast becoming a reality, we’re seeing more droughts. In my view it’s high time to explore large-scale water options again.
Hawke’s Bay is one of the most drought-prone regions in the country.
Other similar growing regions, like Canterbury, Northland and now Nelson, with the recently opened Waimea Dam, are all supported with water storage schemes that help the region thrive.
The fight between our region’s growers and the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is just heating up.
Growers are currently petitioning HBRC to pause the implementation of its water allocations while mediation is under way.
I am hearing from concerned constituents, growers and businesses every day as they fear for the future of our region without the required water allocation.
Cutting red tape is a key part of this Government’s plan to rebuild our economy so infrastructure can be built and Kiwis can get ahead.
Our fast-track legislation will enable infrastructure to be built and the Regional Infrastructure Fund will ensure regions across New Zealand get support for key infrastructure projects.
We’re scrapping the previous Government’s regulations on dams, so farmers and growers aren’t hit with big compliance costs for small dams used for water storage.
This will mean approximately 1900 fewer dams will be impacted by the new regulations, reducing red tape and compliance costs for growers and farmers by more than $13.3 million.
When I was a kid growing up on the farm, it was normal to see a digger turn up in the winter to store water to use in the summer.
That makes perfect sense. But now to dig that same hole it has required bureaucrats with clip boards creating a whole lot of unnecessary time and cost.
We have seen bureaucracy go mad and we’re now reining it in.
The hardships faced by farmers and growers in Hawke’s Bay underscore the need for practical on-farm water storage solutions.
Our coalition Government has agreed to raise the height threshold of the dam safety regulations from 1 to 4 metres.
This higher threshold strikes the right balance of managing risk while easing the regulatory burden faced by owners of small dams.
So, we’re solving the small dam problems, but large-scale water storage would open up real possibilities in Hawke’s Bay.
We have already seen the evidence with the Central Plains Irrigation Scheme, where I heard on our Primary Production select committee last week while hearing submissions on the RMA Ammendments, that it has created over 2000 jobs and added $293 million to Canterbury’s gross domestic product each year.
I will continue to advocate for this sort of infrastructure, which when supported by stakeholders, local, and central government alike, could transform the Hawke’s Bay region.
