About
The true value of the proposed Tukituki Water Security Project will accrue to future generations …it is a once in a generation opportunity to implement an enduring partnership with tangata whenua, mitigate against the impacts of climate change on a sustainable basis and redress the current inequities in water allocations.
Lewis Tucker & Co, 2021 Re-scoping Report
Water is a taonga for everyone and a significant contributor to collective wellbeing, the environment and everything that stems from it.
Water security is not only an historical challenge for Hawke’s Bay – an issue that can and needs to be solved – it’s one of the most critical enablers for unlocking the long-term economic growth and full potential of the region and its people.
Tukituki Water Security Ltd (TWSL) is exploring a viable and robust option to deliver greater water security resilience for generations to come through the Tukituki Water Security Project (TWSP).
The TWSP’s purpose is to address strategically important environmental, river health and water supply issues within Hawke’s Bay and in the face of climate change. The TWSP will create jobs and regional prosperity.
Similar to the water security schemes in the South Island, the TWSP leverages the geographical and geological advantages of central Hawke’s Bay by capturing rainfall from westerly spillover in the Ruahine ranges and then releasing the water into the rivers and fertile soils during dry periods to provide water security.
The Hawke’s Bay Regional Water Assessment 2023 report produced by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council concluded that even with household and business savings, there was a shortfall between demand and supply of 25M m3 water by 2040 and 33M m3 water by 2060. In the most recently measured driest year of 2019/20, it was estimated that 7.2 billion m3 of water flowed directly to the sea from all rivers in Hawke’s Bay. Capturing high flow and storing 90Mm3 of water at the Makaroro site would mean the utilisation of only 1.4% of the total amount of water that flowed to the sea that year.
Following considerable work with key national and regional leaders, TWSL has determined that national and local support is sufficient to provide confidence that this is a viable project. This has been reinforced with the Government including the TWSP on Schedule 2 of the Fast Track Approvals Bill, and more recently by providing a grant from the Kanoa Regional Infrastructure Fund to help with the first phase of work – the project’s feasibility.