Business North July / August 2021

80 | INFRASTRUCTURE Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust I n order to advance meaningful dialogue with landowners, Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust has engaged John Proctor and Ben Craw, both rural specialists with rural banking experience, in particular horticulture. John is focusing on the Mid North region while Ben will predominantly engage with landowners within the Kaipara. Both are meeting with measured interest from landowners, keen to understand more about what this water may mean for them. “I think they are generally supportive of the whole project and that will only grow now that construction on the first reservoirs is actually underway. “The water is coming and now is the time for landowners to really begin to engage with specialists so as to understand what specifi- cally is possible for their land,” says Ben. John says that for landowners in the Mid North understanding what is possible is more readily accessible given the amount of horti- cultural activity close by in Kerikeri. “They don’t have to look that far to see what is available in terms of commercially viable land use options,” says John. Both men say the level of interest from iwi has also been extremely positive. “There is real opportunity available for Māori landowners, enabling in time a much greater return from the use of their land, up-skilling of people and providing significant opportunities for employment,” says John. However, gaining access to capital to facilitate land use change was an ongoing challenge. Engagement with industry organisations is another crucial part of this journey. “We are talking with a range of experts and commercial entities in the Horticultural sector to increase awareness for these landowners, who, for the most part, have only ever under- stood traditional farming systems in these areas,” says Ben. Now that work on the project is underway and with a time line in place for development, future horticultural development in the Mid North and Kaipara could see them become nationally significant food producing districts which could then provide employment and “There is real opportunity available for Māori landowners, enabling in time a much greater return from the use of their land, up-skilling of people and providing significant opportunities for employment.” Spreading the word on scheme benefits Sue Russell Spreading the word: Ben Craw, left, and John Proctor are bringing their skills and knowledge to Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust and helping to communicate with landowners on the potential benefits the scheme will have for the region. economic benefit to their communities for generations to come. Ngā Puna Wai. He koha Oranga Tangata. He koha Oranga Whenua! The Springs of Water. A gift of life to our people. A gift of life to our land! Irrigation • Fertigation • Water Supply • Stockwater Water Treatment • Effluent &Wastewater Dispersal Come and see us at our Pukenui Store this summer: 3890 FAR NORTH ROAD COMPLIANCE | CONSENT | SURVEY | DESIGN | BUILD | COMPLIANCE | MANAGEMENT CONTACT: Peter Robinson EMAIL: peter@agwater.co.nz PHONE: 027 767 6761 0800 65 55 45 | www.bayirrigation.co.nz | 15 Barnes Place, Hastings