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Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has announced that Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd is now established and ready to work with backers of new irrigation schemes.
"The company will act as a bridging investor for regional water infrastructure projects, helping kick-start projects that would not otherwise get off the ground. The Government has set aside $80 million in Budget 2013 for this purpose," says Guy.
All members of the establishment board have been appointed to the new Board of Crown Irrigation Investments.
The board will be chaired by Alison Paterson, with members Don Huse (deputy chair), Debbie Birch, Lindsay Crossen, Chris Kelly, Graeme Sutton, and Michael Webb.
"Crown Irrigation will invest where it is considered necessary to get a project underway. It will be a minority and targeted investor.
"This is another important step towards unlocking the massive opportunities that water storage and irrigation can create for New Zealand.
"There is potential for another 420,000ha of irrigated land to be available for a variety of uses over time. Research from NZIER suggests exports could be boosted by $4 billion a year by 2026, which would support thousands of new jobs.
"More consistent river flows in summer will also have real benefits for the environment, with improved habitats for fish and birdlife.
"After the extreme drought that most of the country suffered earlier this year, the need for better water storage is obvious," says Guy.
Opuha Dam's ability to protect South Canterbury communities from major flooding has taken a significant step forward, with Opuha Water Limited (OWL) successfully commissioning a new outlet valve capable of releasing record volumes of water from the dam ahead of a weather event.
Increased competition for water means the whole community is looking at how irrigators use water.
Moves are afoot to get a team of Australians over here to help repair North Canterbury's irrigation machinery, ravaged by the big windstorm of late October.
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) says access to reliable irrigation water is essential for a thriving horticultural sector.
A 100-year-old Canadian irrigation district has taken inspiration from Canterbury irrigation company Central Plains Water's success in converting from an open race irrigation system to a gravity-fed piped system.
Federated Farmers says it welcomes Labour's commitment to reviewing the Sharemilking Agreements Act, calling on other major parties to do the same.
For Canterbury dairy farmers Sian Meijer and Rick Wobben, wearable technology has become one of their most valuable on-farm tools - helping manage 1850 cows across an expansive, high-performing dairy operation while improving efficiency, mating outcomes and day-to-day decision making.
Fonterra has unveiled its annual results for the 2026 financial year, posting $27 billion in revenue and close to $20 billion returned to New Zealand farmer owners and unit holders.
The first major update to the Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare in more than a decade has been released, marking what DairyNZ describes as an important step in ensuring animal welfare standards continue to evolve alongside scientific evidence and on-farm realities.
Ravensdown shareholders have elected Jane Montgomery and Kate Acland to the Ravensdown Board for three-year terms, following a closely contested director election.
Federated Farmers says new legislation replacing the Resource Management Act will cut red tape, unlock investment and help grow New Zealand's export-led economy, after the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill passed their third reading in Parliament yesterday.
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