Meridian Energy has welcomed the decision to approve resource consent for the Hunter Downs irrigation scheme in South Canterbury.
Chief Executive Tim Lusk says the decision is a huge step towards realising a long-held dream of bringing irrigation to a large part of the region and providing new opportunities for economic growth.
“Meridian is proud to have played a key role as one of the partners involved in bringing this important project a big step closer to reality.”
The Hunter Downs Irrigation Scheme is a community irrigation proposal developed by the South Canterbury Irrigation Trust (SCIT) and Meridian.
The scheme would potentially irrigate up to 40,000 hectares of land from the Waitaki River stretching as far north as Otipua. It would provide opportunities for land use diversification, including horticulture, sheep, beef and dairy farming.
The South Canterbury Irrigation Trust was convened by the Mayors of the Timaru, Waimate and Mackenzie District Councils to develop sustainable irrigation solutions for South Canterbury.
The scheme would involve diverting water from the Waitaki River into an irrigation intake near Stonewall at the existing site of the Morvan Glenavy Ikawai irrigation scheme intake, 35km downstream of the Waitaki Dam.
From there the water would be pumped about 140km for delivery to farms using a pumping station, canal and pipe system.
Mr Lusk says Meridian and its partners are now taking some time to work through the decision document to thoroughly understand it.
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For more information contact:
Claire Shaw
External Communications Manager
Meridian Energy
021 370 677
claire.shaw@meridianenergy.co.nz
About Meridian Energy
Meridian is New Zealand’s largest electricity generator and currently owns and operates nine hydro stations and three wind farms within New Zealand:
- Manapouri power station and eight hydro stations on the Waitaki River in the South Island
- Te Apiti wind farm near Palmerston North
- White Hill wind farm in Southland.
- West Wind farm in Wellington.
Meridian puts significant investment into new renewable energy sources from Wellington’s first wind farm West Wind, through to our most southern wind farm Ross Island (Antarctica).
Meridian also retails electricity to around 188,000 customers throughout New Zealand, which includes households, farms and businesses. It also provides electricity to Rio Tinto Alcan New Zealand Limited; formally Comalco New Zealand Limited; this aluminium smelter in Bluff, is New Zealand’s single largest electricity user.
Meridian has over 1,000 megawatts of New Zealand development opportunities in the resource consent pipeline and has recently commenced construction on the Te Uku wind farm, in Hamilton.