Over the past 10-15 years, public policy in relation to water in both urban and rural environments have evolved to place the needs of the environment at the top of the priority list of objectives. There is widespread support for this prioritisation among water users who also support the development of policy tools and investment that can allow the productivity generated by efficient water use to still be available. One example of this is the capture and storage of water, when it is available, for distribution to users in times of shortage.

Wairarapa, as a classic “dry east coast” region, has attempted to manage its way through these policy shifts as it promotes water storage at a range of scales to help secure the economic and social benefits to the community of a successful primary sector.

Over this period, responding to the increasing unavailability of water in times of high need, there have been two parallel paths relating to improving the resilience of the community and its productive base.

1. Community scale water storage – the Wakamoekau Water Storage Project

2. The Wairarapa Water Users Society – member information on efficiency including farm scale storage.

This Wairarapa Water Resilience Forum will cater to both areas of interest and will

build on a similar forum held in 2018 and the subsequent Wairarapa Water Resilience Strategy.

Part One – Regional Resilience & the Regulatory Landscape

The national perspective relating to the efficient use of water as an input into the production of food and fibre will be presented by Irrigation NZ. As an organisation that has NZ-wide connections as well as relationships with sub-sector organisations they are well placed to highlight experiences from other regions and place them in the Wairarapa context.

They will be followed by GWRC who are the regulator of natural resources management (driven by Central Government policies and legislation) and the holder of the Wairarapa Water Resilience Strategy (the local response to environmental change and the responsible use of water to drive productivity).

The target audience for Part One is all levels of Government, primary sector support people such as farm advisers, rural bankers and other service providers.

Part Two – the Farm Scale options

With the pause on the implementation of the Wakamoekau Community Water Storage solution, individual land-based producers need to consider the options that are available for them to meet their own water security which includes developing their own storage.

There are other supporting options relating to efficiency and good water management and recognising that Wairarapa has both hill country and alluvial flats, the options for each situation need to be addressed.

Following the recent Wairarapa Water Users Society field day that showcased storage in a hilly landscape, WWUS has had a request from its members access similar information related to establishing storage on the valley floor.

As the access to both surface and ground water is becoming more difficult, current and future irrigators should consider on-farm storage to help manage land use change decisions, increasingly variable climate and to buffer cease take periods from existing water sources.

This session will include a Hill Country Case Study (Len French) and a Flat Country Case Study (TBC Southern Water Engineering from Marlborough as they have project managed many relevant equivalent structures over last few years across the viticulture industry)

Agenda

Speakers

Geoff Copps, Secretary, Wairarapa Water User Society
Stephen McNally, Principal Technical Advisor, Irrigation NZ & NZIPIM
Kristina Cranston, Greater Wellington Regional Council
Len French Wairarapa irrigated farmer

Registration

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