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IrrigationNZ board member, Nicky Hyslop, will be confirmed as the new chairperson at the organisation's annual meeting next Thursday; this is the first time a woman has held this position.
Hyslop, a South Canterbury sheep and beef farmer, is a director of Opuha Water Limited and management consultant of 20 years. After five years on the board and three as deputy chairperson, Hyslop says she is ready to lead the interests of irrigators and help improve communication between irrigators and the public, particularly city dwellers and environmentalists.
"A critical part of this is ensuring irrigators increase the uptake of SMART Irrigation practices under our SMART Irrigation programme (www.smartirrigation.co.nz). We won't change public perceptions until we can show wide-spread efficient, responsible and sustainable irrigation practice. We are committed to making this happen."
"For irrigation and water storage to develop in a way that other New Zealanders support, we - as irrigating farmers - need to prove we are using water responsibly, efficiently and sustainably. "
"We understand and respect that New Zealanders are concerned about their waterways. We all want our children and grandchildren to swim and play in local rivers, but I believe that there are ways to make this happen which also allow rural producers to thrive and compete in global markets. IrrigationNZ is working with stakeholders to try and find ways forward which are acceptable to all."
IrrigationNZ's AGM will be held Thursday 2 October at the Hotel Ashburton in Ashburton starting 12pm. IrrigationNZ chief executive Andrew Curtis invites irrigators, scheme and industry representatives (including non members) to hear the organisation's plans for 2015.
"Improving public understanding of irrigation is a priority," says Curtis.
"Market research last summer identified concerns we needed to tackle; we have gone some way to doing this but there is a lot more to do. We are delighted to have Nicky on board in her new role to assist us and to help ensure that responsible and well-managed irrigation, which is key to the economic and social well-being of New Zealand, is progressed."
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