12 | Reservoir a boost for region Otawere Reservoir already has an existing orchardist shareholder, Marsden Farm, which is developing up to 100 hectares of land next to the reservoir for horticulture. T T from page 10 Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Otawere Reservoir already has an existing orchardist shareholder, Marsden Farm, which is developing up to 100 hectares of land next to the reservoir for horticulture. The scheme will start supplying water from summer 2025/26. As each reservoir is completed, ownership transfers to a water company, with shareholders gaining an annual water allocation that can benefit the region in various ways. One of the shareholders in Kaikohe Water Company, Far North Holdings, is using its allocation to support a berry fruit venture at Ngāwhā Innovation and Enterprise Park, near Kaikohe. Far North District Council, also a shareholder, plans to treat water from the reservoir to provide potable drinking water in times of low water flow. In undertaking the latest works, the trust has been very careful in respect to its environmental and ecological impact. For example, eels (tuna), lizards and skinks from the development area have been relocated, and there is close monitoring for bats and kiwi where clearing is occurring. “Upon completion of the reservoir, significant areas will also be planted in native bush,” says Ben. Otawere Reservoir is being built by civil construction specialists MAP Projects Limited and local contractors Progressive Earthmoving Limited, with MAP Projects bringing the high-end expertise needed to ensure exacting safety standards are met. Around a million cubic metres of soil is being moved for the project, which involves construction of two massive dam embankments and a spillway. Ben says the project is running a few months ahead of schedule, thanks to good weather and a strong team effort. Some 40 people are currently working on site, six days a week. “Along with the immediate spin-offs for employment, there will be long-term economic benefits from land-use change in terms of increased GDP and increased employment,” says Ben, noting that horticultural enterprises generate a lot of jobs, and high-value crops like kiwifruit also generate a lot of income compared to traditional farming. Land-use conversion, from farming to orcharding, also has the potential to generate significant work for the region. Bay Irrigation is proud to have been instrumental in designing and implementing pumping infrastructure for multiple reservoirs developed by Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust. “They came to us as we had completed smaller projects in Northland and they felt con ident in our ability to undertake these installs,” says Ashley Hampton, who co-owns Bay Irrigation alongside Paul Singer and David Crawford. Bay Irrigation worked on the recently built 3.3 million cubic metre Te Waihekeora Reservoir on the northern Pouto Peninsula, which holds enough water to support approximately 1,100 hectares of new horticultural development. For this project, Bay Irrigation designed pump stations to harvest water from run-o drains around the Te Kopuru area south of Dargaville and pump it to the storage facility. The system also manages water low from the reservoir to end users, including growers and farmers, at speci ied rates—all fully automated. “We had to design a pump Quality and adaptability station and headworks to meet the low and pressure requirements and divert water to where they wanted it,” explains Ashley. The irm has also been involved with the Trust’s Matawii Reservoir near Kaikohe, which can store 750,000 cubic metres of water and has the capacity to supply up to 1,700 hectares of new horticultural land. For this project, Bay Irrigation designed a system to pump water to promote high-value cropping, boost employment and supply water to the Kaikohe township. Currently the company is advising on another Trust project at North Waimate, where the Otawere Reservoir is under construction. Its involvement centres on pipeline sizing into and out of the dam. Ashley says company's selection for these signi icant projects re lects its reputation for quality and adaptability. While the Trust might typically engage larger contractors for such work, Bay Irrigation o ered both expertise and value. “When we installed the irst pump station, one of the 0800 65 55 45 www.bayirrigation.co.nz 15 Barnes Place, Hastings Trust's advisors, experienced in this type of construction, commented that our workmanship (which is our normal standard) was comparable with tier one contractors,” says Ashley. The company's in-house design capabilities including CAD work, allowed it to adapt quickly when requirements changed. “We could adjust things quickly to come up with new quotes and plans as things changed. The timeframe we completed the work also met expectations despite working through winter.” A New Zealand owned and operated company with more than 30 years in the industry Bay Irrigation's origins date back to the late 1980s, with Ashley joining in 1994. Paul has also been in irrigation since the early 80s while David joined after working in the industry and managing dairy farms. Bay Irrigation’s services include advice, design, installation, maintenance and support. “Put simply our customers irrigate thousands of hectares every season knowing that we are right there with them.”
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