Listen Now: 
A water grab in central Hawkes Bay that had been the subject of legal challenges from Ngati Kahungunu and environmental groups is set to go ahead.
The Hawke's Bay Regional Investment Company, which is the economic arm of Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, says it has enough pledges from farmers to go ahead with the Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme.
Chief executive Andrew Newman says 196 water users have signed up to take just over 42 million cubic metres of water a year from the scheme at 27.5 cents a litre.
All that’s missing is a cornerstone institutional capital investor, which will allow the scheme to tap into the government’s Irrigation Acceleration Fund.
Ngai Tahu Holdings had been involved at an earlier stage but pulled out because of concerns over its viability.
Greens water spokesperson Catherine Delahunty says most of the cost of the project, including the $333 million dam on the Tukituki River, will be borne by taxpayers and ratepayers.
She says it will increase pollution in the catchment.
Copyright © 2016, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
RELATED NEWS
