30 | Te Tai Tokerau Water T T Karen Phelps Trust’s water reservoir completed The main dam embankment is 24m high and the reservoir will store 730,000 m³ of water. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT The reservoir for the first of Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust’s three ambitious water projects has just been completed. Matawii, near Kaikohe, covers about 13ha with a main dam embankment approximately 24m high and will store 730,000 m³ of water. Primary Industry Infrastructure Consultant Chris Frost says the completion of the project will help to future proof Kaikohe’s water needs, as Kaikohe has a history of water shortages, which were acute during the 2019/20 drought following record low rainfall in 2019. Initially Matawii will be providing water to the Ngawha Innovation & Enterprise Business Park, a cornerstone investor in the scheme along with the Far North District Council. Ngawha Innovation & Enterprise Business Park focuses on kaitiaki employment opportunities, circular economies and regional capability development. It will include a Horticulture Hub with a stage 1 development of 10ha of horticulture production in polytunnels with fertigation shed and packhouse. The park Innovation Hub will encompass value-added manufacturing, education and training, and business incubation and collaboration. Stage 1 of the hub is an education campus, platforms for other manufacturing premises, and an Innovation Centre building. An Emerging Horticulture operation in the park will help facilitate new horticultural opportunities in the region and will include nursery operations, crop trials of new sub-tropical and indigenous crops, demonstration of how to grow crops that are new to Northland and growing crops at increasing scale intensively in controlled environments. Chris says reliable access to water will be a key factor in the park’s success. Matawii is expected to be commissioned in March and available to supply water in the summer of 2023/24. One of the first enterprises to benefit from Matawii is Kaikohe Berryfruit Company, a partnership between Ngāpuhi Asset Holding Company (NAHC) and Far North Holdings Limited (FNHL). The new venture, a sustainability focused hi-tech hydroponics berry fruit operation, will span a 28-hectare site and predominately grow berries. The operation will include hydroponic tunnel houses, packing and cool-store facilities. It is expected to create employment opportunities for120-160 local people each year including about 80 full-time positions. Chris says Kaikohe Berryfruit Company is a great example of the type of business that can establish in the area with the confidence of a reliable water supply. Te Waihekeora and Mid North Projects On Track Te Waihekeora reservoir in Kaipara is progressing well and is presently more than halfway through completion. The project is being built in two stages with stage one being finished and holding around 300,000 m3. Primary Industry Infrastructure Consultant Chris Frost says the scheme is currently supplying water to several horticultural developments adjacent to Te Waihekeora, including Lynwood Avocado. The company is branching out from its core business of propagating avocado trees with the large orchard venture. T T to page 32 Stage two is halfway through and will see the reservoir enlarged to 3.2 million m³ as demand for water increases. Chris says weather and Covid-19 have been significant challenges in respect to managing timing and cost. Stage two is expected to be completed later this year. Resource consents have also been obtained and detailed design is nearing completion for Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust’s Otawere reservoir. It is part of the proposed Mid North Water Scheme in the area around Ohaeawhai and Waimate North. Otawere will offer four million cumec of capacity. “These projects are all based upon harvesting high flows and after the summer we’ve had it’s obvious high flows can come at any time of the year.” FAR NORTH AGENT CALL 021 780 105 EMAIL orchardworx@gmail.com
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