Listen Now: 
A Raukokore hapū leader says a new water storage scheme for the eastern Bay of Plenty locality will boost community resilience.
The Provincial Growth Fund is making a loan of $10.6 million to Te Whānau a Maruhaeremuri Hapū Trust to design and build the scheme.
Willie Te Aho says the water scheme will allow the conversion of at least 200 hectares from grazing to kiwifruit, macadamia and other horticultural crops.
The trust has also applied for resource consent to use some of the water for domestic supply in Raukokore and Waihau Bay, which currently rely on collecting rainwater.
"We're in a dry spell and it's going to be dryer through climate change so we've got to ensure we can get the water, treat it through UV treatment, and then get it into tanks in our houses. Otherwise, it is our fire truck taking water from the river to our houses in Raukokore and we need that fire truck to be available for emergency services," he says.
Other PGF announcements today include $190 million in infrastructure projects, including includes $88 million on roads, almost $90 million in coastal assets and upgrades to Taupo and Milford airports.
!["p_facebook"]("/site/uma/images/story_img/facebook.jpg")
& !["p_twitter"]("/site/uma/images/story_img/twitter.jpg")
Copyright © 2020, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
