View from Here: Shane Jones

many communities could not access fresh drinking water due to the lack of storage, while other communities had an abundance of water and some with significant flooding. By working collaboratively, the group sees the benefit of large water infrastructure programmes, including the establishment of large water storage facilities, which can benefit New Zealand and New Zealanders with sustainable access to water for: • safe and drought resilient drinking water for communities, • reliable supplies during periods of flood, when run of river supplies are compromised, • •rovision of environmental flows to enhance eco-system health, • the ability to re-allocate water in fully allocated or over allocated catchments, which will particularly important in enabling development of Maori land that currently cannot access water, • water for horticulture, land use flexibility, and growing our food supply, • capability for small and micro-hydro schemes to power remote areas with green energy, • recreational use that support wellbeing and, • managed aquifer recharge to restore the quality of accessible groundwater and reducing legacy nitrate problems. The group considered that the recovery from the COVID-19 global pandemic, which also triggered a National Civil Defence Emergency and placed the country in an unprecedented lockdown, requires an equally comprehensive recovery plan as we have seen in previous national emergencies.

The letter advocated for the immediate establishment of an infrastructure alliance.

Alliances of this sort, leveraging accelerated Resource Management Act, Public Works Act, procurement and community consolation regimes, produced award winning results in the Kaikoura and Christchurch earthquakes.

Immediate work in the water space could be focused on employmentincentive renewals, growth projects, planned maintenance, riparian planting and flood protection, which are ‘no regrets’ investments. Previous alliances have had strong independent governance and have included representation from both owner (Crown and councils) and non-owner participants.

Integrating mana whenua (tribal territorial rights) representation and embedding the values of Te Mana Wai into new arrangements will be an essential element of any new alliance model in order to rapidly co-design and deliver our new water infrastructure.

Although this year’s ‘Budget 2020’ was executed and presented under the exceptional circumstances created by COVID-19 IrrigationNZ believes it was a missed opportunity for water investment. Strategic water storage in key regions could aid a postCOVID recovery which focuses on protecting jobs, creating new ones, achieving positive environmental outcomes, and contributing to climate change targets. IrrigationNZ will continue to talk to the Government about how this can be done utilising the $20 billion unallocated funding, and the $3.2 billion infrastructure contingency fund.

The development and delivery of a significant infrastructure programme could be a defining moment in the history of our nation, provided we do it properly.

Ross Creek Reservoir near Dunedin. The Ross Creek Dam project is the city’s Security of Supply project to ensure the city has reliable water supply. (Photo: Caswell Images) Immediate work in the water space could be focused on employmentincentive renewals, growth projects, planned maintenance, riparian planting and flood protection, which are ‘no regrets’ investments.