An 85-tonne excavator has arrived on site to begin work on stage one of a new water storage reservoir near Glinks Gully in the Kaipara.
The reservoir, the first of several planned for the Pouto peninsula, is the first step in what is hoped to be a larger Kaipara water storage and distribution scheme which could ultimately support up to 4000ha of new horticultural development in the region.
A Northland contractor has been chosen to build the 270,000m3 reservoir and it is hoped work will be complete within three to four months. The reservoir would then be enlarged to 3.2 million m3 as demand for more water is established.
The Trust already has prospective orchardists looking to establish operations on property around the Glinks Gully reservoir site, potentially as early as September.
The Trust has also obtained four consents to collect water in times of high flow rates from the lower reaches of drains and creeks on the Northern Pouto peninsula. These are to assist with planned future storage developments in the region.