News

Mind The Gap Please

The need to more closely align resource allocation with actual use is becoming increasingly urgent.

This project, funded by MPI through their Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures programme, with co-funding from Regional Councils and led by Aqualinc Research Ltd, with support from Irrigation New Zealand, aims to close the gap between allocated and measured irrigation water use by upgrading the science behind irrigation modelling and modernising the tools used by councils and irrigators. Through nationwide engagement, technical innovation, and robust analysis of water meter data, the project will enable smarter, fairer, and more future-focused management of irrigation demand. At its heart, the initiative is about creating a nationally consistent, credible, and transparent basis for setting irrigation water use limits — one that supports both environmental integrity and rural productivity.

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By modernising the IrriCalc system and developing a new, dynamic database of reasonable irrigation use, this project will directly support better decision-making at the regional and farm level. Councils will have access to improved tools for setting limits in water use consents, irrigators will benefit from clearer standards and efficiency gains, and New Zealand as a whole will move closer to achieving balance in freshwater objectives.

The expected outcomes include increased economic output from reallocated water, improved environmental outcomes in over-allocated catchments, and reduced regulatory concern over water resources. Ultimately, the work will help future-proof New Zealand’s food and fibre sectors by ensuring water is used where and when it delivers the greatest value — economically, environmentally, and socially.

To find out more about closely aligning resource allocation with actual use

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Christchurch: +64 3 964 6521
Ashburton: +64 3 307 6680

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