The Government is making good its promises to clear the stumbling blocks for community irrigation schemes.


Agriculture Minister David Carter has announced changes to the Community Irrigation Fund he says “will help fast track” the development of agricultural irrigation schemes.


While the size of the fund remains the same, eligibility criteria will widen to cover the funding of technical design work for irrigation projects.


Additionally, it will cover training for developers in the areas of financial management and help develop their community and local government lobbying skills.


While Carter reiterates the Government’s stance that accelerating reliable irrigation is the key to boosting primary production, applications must still prove environmental standards are met.
“Access to fresh water is vital for growing our primary industries but getting an irrigation scheme off the ground is a complex, time-consuming process.


“The Community Irrigation Fund plays a key role in supporting local communities and regional councils to develop irrigation schemes and water strategies.”


Irrigation NZ chairman Graeme Sutton says his organisation has been working to upskill people involved in irrigation development “off its own bat” up to this point.


“Incorporating training into the Community Irrigation Fund will allow the industry to fast track this training to ensure the necessary skills are attained,” he says.


Sutton adds that clearing the way for technical design work to be covered under the funding criteria effectively removes blockages that frequently impede progress in the early stages of a scheme’s development.