24 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Waitaki: North Otago Irrigation Co Irrigation schemes a key driver of economy from page 23 The North Otago Irrigation Company has a growing role in the local irrigation sector, having taken on management of the Kurow-Duntroon Irrigation Scheme last spring and the Maerewhenua Scheme in February 2022. “We are fortunate that the Waitaki River is a particularly reliable source of water, with that source being alpine snow melt and flow in the river managed via the half dozen hydro dams down the river which control the flows and act as storage reservoirs for us. Storage is fundamental to reliability.” The North Otago Irrigation Company has a growing role in the local irrigation sector, having taken on management of the Kurow-Duntroon Irrigation Scheme last spring and the Maerewhenua Scheme in February 2022. Andrew says smaller irrigation companies struggle to keep up with the responsibilities and array of regulations associated with managing water in an ever more complex world. “They need that full-time management focus but are not generally of a large enough size to warrant putting in their own management team. “These two schemes turned to us as we have a track record of running a well-managed, well-organised irrigation company with the skills needed to cope with the barrage of change occurring.” Understanding the ecology of river, pond and canal environments in its area of operation is another key priority for the NOIC to ensure its scheme continues to meet consent requirements into the future. “To that end, we have recently commissioned NIWA to undertake a survey of fish species and their populations. Sampling started in March and will run for eight to 12 months.” Supplying water to farmers requires that NOIC is compliant with consents and farming regulations. Shareholders on the scheme manage their farms through Farm Environment Plans which are regularly audited by certified, independent auditors. “We are fortunate that the Waitaki River is a particularly reliable source of water, with that source being alpine snow melt and flow in the river managed via the half dozen hydro dams down the river which control the flows and act as storage reservoirs for us. Storage is fundamental to reliability.” Andrew acknowledges the efforts of local farmers to comply with regulations and apply good management practices. “They are determined to eliminate any environmental effects from farming but it will always be a work in progress because they will need to keep doing more simply to keep up with changing expectations and regulations.” In the wider area, NOIC is a member of the Waitaki Irrigators Collective that represents the interests of over 580 irrigators across North Otago and South Canterbury. “Our job is to advocate to ensure regional council regulations are practical and workable. It is the scheme’s role to interpret how they are to be applied and help farmers understand them.” OUR TEAM MAKES CERTAIN EVERYTHING ENDS UP AS PLANNED Proud to be associated with North Otago Irrigation Co Switchbuild specialise in the integration of process & control systems and the presentation of plant data • Services: Design / ACAD / Commissioning • Dashboards: Customised Data Acquisition • Reports: Process / Operational / Compliance • Alarm Notification: Operator Plans • Programming: PLC / HMI / SCADA / Telemetry • Systems Engineering: Industrial networks / Communications • Switchboards: Motor Control Centres, Power Distribution • Electrical Technician: Switchboard and process upgrades
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=