Ruataniwha gets to second base

With the Ruataniwha Water Storage scheme getting the tick from a Board of Inquiry appointed by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), the concept of water storage has passed a major milestone but a greater one is to ensure it is financially viable.

“You could say Ruataniwha has now got to second base,” says Bruce Wills, Federated Farmers President.

“First base was getting Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s leadership to take it forward while second base was the Board of Inquiry.

“Third base will be the scheme’s all-important financing and whether the nutrient limits make it viable for farmers to invest. It also has to be analysed to make sure it still works within the regional plan too.

“If these all stack up then it will be a home run once construction hopefully starts.

“Federated Farmers believes water storage is core economic, cultural, social and environmental infrastructure for a changing climate.

“Something made more real to us by the latest release of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment report chapter on Australasia.

“The IPCC arguably puts the best case forward for the Ruataniwha water storage scheme in Central Hawke’s Bay, given New Zealand was stung by the IPCC for a lack of practical preparedness.

“Over coming decades things are going to get drier along the northern east coast so we need to store water to ensure the Hawke’s Bay remains a thriving place to do business in.

“This is a long and detailed report and what we now need to do is work our way through the 700 pages of detail,” Mr Wills said.

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