Viewpoint – A game-changer for Northland

Horticulture and job opportunities in Northland are set to receive a significant boost with the completion of the Te Waihekeora Reservoir – a landmark water storage project located south of Dargaville. This past week, I had the opportunity to host Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Northland. We began our visit in Ruawai, where Anthony Blundell and Kaipara Kūmara welcomed us, and we had an informative discussion about the importance of the local horticultural industry. The highlight of the week was attending the official opening of the Te Waihekeora Reservoir. Prime Minister Luxon and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones then officially opened the 3.3 million cubic metre reservoir at Te Kōpuru. This event marks a significant milestone in unlocking the region’s economic potential.

Northland’s climate poses both challenges and opportunities: While we frequently face droughts and flooding, our region also boasts fertile soils and generous rainfall. However, the lack of water storage infrastructure has previously limited our capacity to fully harness these natural advantages.

The completion of the Te Waihekeora Reservoir changes this dynamic. The reservoir will unlock more than 1000 hectares of land for horticulture, with the potential to quadruple that area through the recently announced 22 kilometre Kaipara pipeline, which will eventually connect the reservoir to Dargaville.

As I see it, the key benefits of Te Waihekeora Reservoir are that it:

• Enables higher-value land use and year-round productivity,
• Provides growers and farmers, including many iwi, with the certainty to invest, expand and innovate,
• Creates more jobs, boosts the local economy and opens access to new markets.

Projects like this are vital to realising the full potential of our land, industries and people. They also align with the Coalition Government’s goal of doubling the value of New Zealand’s exports through smarter, more sustainable growth in food and fibre.

Managed by the Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust, the reservoir will deliver multiple benefits:

• Strengthening water security across Northland,
• Supporting Māori-owned enterprises such as the Te Uri o Hau avocado orchard development, which is already drawing water from the reservoir,
• Stimulating economic growth through increased investment and activity,
• Supplying water to key local users, including Silver Fern Farms, the area’s largest employer.

Since 2018, nearly $126 million in government funding has been committed to water storage infrastructure in Northland. This includes $35 million from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) for Te Waihekeora and a loan of up to $17.5 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund for the Kaipara pipeline.

This is a proud moment for Northland. I look forward to witnessing the positive impact this project will have on our region’s communities, economy and future.