‘Fatal blow for irrigation

Press, 9 November 1984, Page 3

‘Fatal blow for irrigation

The decision to halve the Government subsidy to community irrigation schemes is a fatal blow to any irrigation development or new growth in Canterbury, according to the member of Parliament for Selwyn, Miss Ruth Richardson.

Mr Douglas last evening announced that the rate of subsidy for headworks and off-farm works on community irrigation schemes would be reduced from 70 per cent to 35 per cent for schemes approved from today. Miss Richardson said she could not see any prospect of any community or private irrigation schemes in the South Island, taking into account the slashing of the investment the Government was prepared to make in irrigation schemes, the abolition of South Island electricity concessions to irrigation users, and the rise of Rural Bank interest rates.

She said that this irrigation policy was contrary to advice given by those in decision-making roles in Canterbury. The chairman of the Lower Rakaia Irrigation Scheme, Mr B. K. Cameron,

said that this scheme could be in jeopardy. The halving of the subsidy could add about $lO a hectare to the farmer’s annual water charge. This could be the end, taking into account the reduction of the grant for rural water-supply schemes and other blows fanners had taken in the Budget, he said. He believed the policy was shortsighted. The Central Plains Irrigation Scheme was still some way from approval and its chairman, Mr D. G. Watson, said it was difficult to judge how the new policy would affect it. He said the situation could be different in two or three years. However, he believed that it would be a blow for those schemes nearing or awaiting approval, particularly Te Pirita scheme to irrigate 2200 hectares of the central Canterbury Plains.

The chairman of Te Pirita Irrigation Association, Mr A. S. Chaffey, said farmers had been awaiting final approval for seven years. They would now have to have a good look at their scheme, he said. “This could well mean the end of it.”