Community Partners

HWP has been supported financially by MAF funds and by winning the Canterbury V5 award.  The project also liaises with the Canterbury Water Management Strategy team and Hurunui District Council to ensure fit of regional and district water strategies.

V5 - The Hurunui Water Project made the final list for the V5 award in March 2010; a joint project by the Canterbury Development Corporation, Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce and the University of Canterbury to recognise  projects of national significance that have the potential to bring in $100million of revenue for the Canterbury region within five years.

MAF - Both the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Sustainable Farming Fund and the Community Irrigation Fund (CIF) have contributed support towards the project's development. In 2002, the Hurunui Community Water Development Project working group was formed with representation from Enterprise North Canterbury, the HIPT, Ngai Tahu Property, MainPower and the owner of Eskhead Station. Since then the Ministry of Agriculture’s Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) has allocated grants to the project in 2003 and 2008 of $225,000 and $385,000 respectively. The funds have been used to assess the feasibility of a storage scheme and explore possible locations and options for water storage. Both of these grants were matched $ for $ by local contributions. In August 2008, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Community Irrigation Fund (CIF) granted $50,000 to the project. Again this had to be matched $ for $ by local contributions. An additional $62,500 was awarded by CIF in 2009. CIF’s funding has been used to develop the governance structure for the project and pay for project management.

Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS) - The Hurunui-Waiau Zonal Committee under the CWMS was announced in June 2010. Project chairperson Mike Hodgen was one of the community representatives chosen for the committee. The project has offered to share research findings with the committee as it works towards a sustainable water solution for Hurunui District. 

Hurunui District Council - The council has surveyed residents about their views on water management and considers water storage within its Hurunui Water Management Strategy.