Hawke’s Bay Regional Council wants $225 million water storage facility on Ngāruroro River tributary

The Ngāruroro River, towards the cableway at Whanawhana. The Hawke's Bay Regional Council has plans for a 27-million-cubic-metre water storage facility in the area. Photos / Warren Buckland

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council wants a $225 million water storage facility to be built on a small tributary of the Ngāruroro River.

The council has announced it will share the cost of a feasibility study for the 27-million-cubic-metre project near Whanawhana.

The cost of the study will be about $3.2 million and will be shared by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) and the Government, supported by a 2020 loan from the Provincial Growth Fund. The spend is budgeted for in HBRC’s Long-Term Plan.

It is HBRC’s latest attempt to provide water security in the region after it abandoned the failed Ruataniwha Dam project in Central Hawke’s Bay in 2018 after $20m was spent on pre-development.

The consents were sold to Water Holdings Hawke’s Bay Ltd, a group of local farmers, with the project now also in the early stages of being revived in a new form known as the Tukituki Water Security Project.

HBRC chairwoman Hinewai Ormsby said there were a huge number of variables and any costings at this stage were preliminary.

“A key purpose of the feasibility phase is to determine the full cost, however, indicative early estimates are in the area of $225 million,” Ormsby said.

The future of Hawke’s Bay’s economy depended upon water security and the ability to access new freshwater supplies, but this was becoming a challenge as the climate changed, representing increasing risk to the people of Hawke’s Bay and its environment and economy, she said.

“As part of our ongoing Water Security Programme, HBRC is focused on how we can better protect our waterways while supporting the future of our economy,” Ormsby said.

“There is now a vital role for carefully designed water storage at the right scale and in the right location and, despite the work being impacted by both Covid-19 and the Cyclone Gabrielle recovery, we are now ready for a full feasibility phase.

“Water storage must be one part of a multi-faceted approach, including a constant commitment to maximising efficiency and water conservation.

“However, this project has the potential to be transformational, unlocking significant productivity gains, improving environmental outcomes, and providing water security for all people of Heretaunga,” she said.

The Ngāruroro catchment contributes to the recharge of the Heretaunga Plains aquifer that supports the region’s horticulture and viticulture industries with water for Hawke’s Bay’s two main cities, Napier and Hastings, including its households and industries.

Peak winter flows from the dam would be stored for release back into the lowland river and stream network during dry summer months, to recharge the aquifer and offset water extraction.

HBRC chairwoman Hinewai Ormsby said the future of Hawke’s Bay’s economy depended upon water security, and the ability to access new freshwater supplies. Photo / Hawke's Bay Regional Council

The water would provide for increasing population and housing, new jobs and industries and a growing, thriving economy.

Ormsby said the move to a feasibility study would mean changes in project governance to ensure independence and the right commercial skills and experience.

“To ensure a robust feasibility assessment, with a strong focus on commercial viability, we will begin to transition project governance to a new entity.

“The new governance entity will bring together iwi and mana whenua partners, irrigators, representatives of commercial and municipal water users and community stakeholders to lead the project with a strong development focus.”

She said there would be consultation when a decision to seek resource consents is made, which would be at the conclusion of the feasibility phase, if successful.

Ormsby said the Heretaunga proposal was entirely separate from Central Hawke’s Bay’s water storage plans and it shouldn’t affect them.

“The Heretaunga proposal is very different and addresses quite different needs,” she said.

“The Ruataniwha proposal is for a big dam – more than three times the size – and would provide water for Central Hawke’s Bay, around 50 kilometres away from Napier.

“The Heretaunga proposal is to augment water supplies across the Heretaunga Plains with a local storage facility at appropriate scale and to deliver improved environmental outcomes in the region’s lowland streams and rivers.

“The two schemes are servicing different regions, but they’re complementary. The future of Hawke’s Bay lies in sustainably producing high-quality food for the world – and this takes secure water supplies.”

The precise location of the site is not yet known.

HBRC said the land was privately owned and it was too early for it to give that level of detail.

“We want to protect the privacy of the landowners at this time. If the feasibility phase supports a viable project then precise site details will be just one part of a lot more detailed information we will provide to the public.”

The feasibility phase of the Heretaunga Water Storage Facility will commence immediately.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.