It will supply water to horticulture sites and the nearby Ngawha Innovation and Enterprise Park, due to open shortly. “The site was once a dairy farm and in just a few years, despite the pandemic, the project transformed the land from paddocks to water. The Matawii reservoir was the first project to be approved under the fast-tracking legislation introduced by the government to help with Covid-19 recovery. "With many of our regions’ water allocation issues disproportionately affecting Māori landowners, this means the limiting of economic growth is felt disproportionately by Māori.” “Although this summer was particularly wet, more frequent droughts and more variable rainfall are something we need to plan for to ensure our communities are positioned well for the future."Īllan says water has an integral role in ensuring regional economies are equitable, sustainable and productive, particularly for Māori. "This project will facilitate a continued transition to higher-value horticulture crops and to increased climate resilience in Northland," Allan said.
When it's full, it will hold 750,000 cubic metres of water, the equivalent of 300 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The reservoir, located in Ngāwha, will store water during peak flows to use during drier periods. As a result of the flood-and-drought cycle in Te Tai Tokerau, there needed to be a reliable water source to unlock the potential of the region’s land, which has rich soils and an incredible climate for horticulture,” Allan said. “The water storage projects will pump new life into these districts. Once the remaining projects are completed, Northland will have the infrastructure and water to develop approximately 7000ha of horticulture, creating more than 500 jobs and $400 million of annual regional output. The Matawii reservoir, the first of three water security projects in Northland, has been officially opened today, with Regional Development Minister Kiritapu Allan saying it will boost regional business as well as climate resilience.Ī $68 million government investment supported the construction of the reservoir, along with two other water storage and distribution projects being developed by Tai Tokerau Water Trust in Kaipara and the Mid North.
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