Lessons To Be Learnt As Waimea Dam Opens After 24 Years

Monday, 10 February 2025, 9:08 pm
Article: Max Frethey - Local Democracy Reporter

Under the blaring summer sun and surrounded by swarms of sandflies, the Waimea Community Dam was formally opened on Friday morning, bringing an end to a quarter century of work.

The 2001 drought, known as the Big Dry, saw the lower reaches of the Waimea River dry up and saltwater intrusion threaten water bores, and wreaked havoc on the local economy.

That event sparked a comprehensive investigation into the region's water security which eventually concluded that a dam was needed for the Waimea Plains.

And now in 2025, the Waimea Community Dam, though long-delayed and significantly over budget, has been finally opened in a ceremony where the relief in the air was palpable.

Ngāti Koata welcomed dozens of representatives from the government, council, irrigators, and other stakeholders to the dam before those involved reflected on the tortuous project.

Waimea Water Limited is the council-controlled organisation that manages the dam.

Chief executive Mike Scott said the dam will improve prosperity in the region by ensuring water security for "generations and generations to come", giving businesses the confidence to continue investing in the local horticultural industry.

Nelson MP Rachel Boyack added the environmental benefits of the dam cannot be understated and would make the region more resilient to climate change.

"The Waimea Dam provides improved and consistent water flow through the Waimea River, which will over time significantly improve the health of the river."

But it was the difficulties of executing large infrastructure projects that was the running theme of the day, with Tasman Mayor Tim King suggesting that instead of rock, the downstream face of the dam could instead have been filled by all "the reports on reports on reports".

While acknowledging the "outstanding achievement" of the dam's completion, King's frustrations with the process were evident, even if they were conveyed with humour.

"In terms of funding, in terms of process and infrastructure, we need to learn the lessons and do better."

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon lauded the "incredible legacy" of the dam which was delivered thanks to the "sheer tenacity" of "remarkable individuals" involved.

But he wholeheartedly agreed with King and reiterated his now-familiar mantra of needing to say "yes" more often.

"This is a really big priority to make sure that we actually do more of this across New Zealand, and we make it much easier to be able to get projects like this delivered," he said.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop highlighted the government's fast-track legislation and Resource Management Act reform which he expected to make it easier to deliver large infrastructure projects including, specifically, other water storage projects like the Waimea Community Dam.

Luxon added that the government was taking a closer look at how large infrastructure projects were funded to avoid "bespoke" models for each project, and highlighted its City and Regional Deals policy which aimed to create 10-year delivery plans for critical infrastructure delivery across the country.

"We've got to get better at doing these kind of projects. There's no doubt about it; they're complex and they're expensive."

Tasman District Council agreed to build the dam in 2018 when it was estimated to cost almost $105 million.

Unforeseen geotechnical challenges, a high-inflation environment, and contractor disputes contributed to the cost overruns that eventually brought the final cost to $211 million.

The bulk of the cost was funded by both the council and irrigators through a combination of equity and debt.

Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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