By now most readers are aware of efforts to revive the failed Ruataniwha Dam scheme in Central Hawke’s Bay.
That proposition has been blessed with fast-track status, as well as receiving up to $3 million in Government funding to come up with a new feasibility study and detailed business case. Proponents – the Tukituki Water Security Project led by CHB sheep & beef farmer and Scales Corp chair Mike Petersen – are presently trying to raise the matching money they need to secure the Gov’t grant. They aim to have their case put together by year’s end.
Like Dam 1, which had a 2015 price tag (including all delivery costs) exceeding $600 million, Ruataniwha Dam 2 would be built to store 100 million cubic metres of water.
However this proposed dam now faces stiff competition.
The HB Regional Council, which had abandoned Ruataniwha Dam 1, is now proceeding with a water storage proposal of its own, using pre-feasibility funding provided by MBIE.
This dam would store 27 million cubic metres at a site off the main stem of the Ngaruroro River. Pre-feasibility work has identified the site as technically, environmentally and commercially feasible. The dam would cost $225 million to build, with $6 million in annual operating costs (excluding any debt servicing).
HBRC has allocated $3.22 million in its current LTP to fund the detailed feasibility analysis, aiming for completion in mid-2026
And so the battle of the business cases begins! Both propositions have a heap of ground to cover in the months ahead.
For now, we’d just note that the Regional Water Assessment completed by HBRC in 2022 projected a ‘medium scenario’ water gap for the entire region of 25 million cubes by 2040, increasing to 33 million cubes by 2060. [While another scenario projected a water surplus.]
It’s hard to imagine any issue that will get more attention from BayBuzz in the coming year than the battle of the dams, starting with our March/April BayBuzz magazine, out in a couple of weeks.
This is certain to be a major talking point over the next year or so – Ruataniwha has little to recommend it (unless you’re one of the land owners seeking the water allowance of everybody else to line their pockets) – the Ngaruroro project sounds more feasible – but the devil is in the details which we don’t know about as yet – so opinion awaits the numbers.
Can’t get my head around how it costs $3.25 million to do a feasibility study for 1yr..really.. I understand that the water storage issue is of utmost importance to the bay..but what about the rest of the things that really need to be done around the bay??? Really $3.25 million..