The Waimea Dam in the Tasman District was initially costed at $25 million.  Since that time costs have steadily risen, with the latest estimate in July 2022 rising to $195M, and forecast to keep rising.  This is typical of large dam builds.  The dam won’t irrigate any more land, but will allow irrigators to maintain their operations under current consents.  This is a result of over-allocation by Tasman District Council. 

 

While a user-pays model was proposed in the dam’s early days, escalating costs have meant that Tasman ratepayers are now increasingly contributing to pay back these loans through their rates.  Wise Water Use advocate for exploration of alternative land uses suited to local climatic conditions before spending public money on expensive engineering solutions to maintain the status quo. 

 

You can learn more about the Waimea Dam and keep up to date with its rising costs as postings are added below: