Media Release
26 June 2014
Ruataniwha final decision will take days to digest
It will be at least several days before the Federation is in a position to comment on the final decision by the Tukituki
Catchment Proposal Board of Inquiry.
“We jumped a high fence yesterday with the council vote, but until we digest the Board of Inquiry’s final decision, we
don’t know if we’ve jumped the Board of Inquiry one,” says Will Foley, Federated Farmers Hawke’s Bay provincial
president.
“I will be honest and say it will be days until we are in a position to make any comment.
“We are talking 17 volumes across 168.4MB of data. It’s like The Luminaries in scope and until we can look at the decision in its entirety, we cannot comment on the summary or individual parts. I
am afraid this is one time where it will take time to read and digest.
“That said yesterday, Hawke’s Bay’s political leaders listened to the community’s voice expressed through consultation
and a physical show of support for Ruataniwha
“I’d like to single out Councillor Beaven for praise. He showed true grit in breaking ranks with the minority of
councillors opposing Ruataniwha. That took real guts and we won’t forget it or the way farmers and the community came
together for Ruataniwha.
“The Tukituki Plan Change is, first and foremost, an environmental solution to help tackle nuisance algae found in the
Tukituki during summer. You could say it is an environmental solution with incredibly strong economic benefits by way of
storing rainwater.
“That’s why ratepayer investment is capped at $80 million out of the $275 million build cost. Farmers like me will need
to put in upwards of $400 million more of our own money to build the on-farm infrastructure.
“The private dollar could take the lead here but the environment could also benefit.
“Members of Federated Farmers are absolutely committed to the environmental sustainability of our farms. We also want to
see our children swimming in an algae-bloom free river and a water storage dam will contribute positively to both
outcomes.
“But only if that dam stacks up as a commercial investment and that’s now the key here. I know investors are in the
wings for Ruataniwha but their involvement hinges on the plan change being economically viable.
“If we don’t see movement towards that then we’ll lose not just the dam, but put the viability of farming on the fertile
Ruataniwha plains in jeopardy.
“In the meantime, I am proud of the place I call home because the Bay has shown to New Zealand that it wants a strong
future. Let’s hope those holding the pen agree,” Mr Foley concluded.
ENDS