Content provided by IrrigationNZ
Northland has celebrated an important milestone in its long-term water journey with the official opening of the Te Waihekeora Reservoir near Glinks Gully in Kaipara.
This is not the first step in Northland’s water development; rather, it is the most recent in a series of strategic water storage and distribution projects delivered by Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust since its creation in 2020.
The trust was established to deliver community-scale water solutions in two of Northland’s most promising horticultural zones, where high-quality soils and a favourable climate create ideal conditions for growing high-value crops – but only if water supply can be guaranteed through dry seasons.
Completing a regional vision
Te Waihekeora represents the culmination of years of planning and collaboration between growers, iwi, local government and central agencies.
While earlier schemes have brought reliable water to other parts of Northland, this latest development extends that benefit to a new catchment.
It opens the door for existing land users and new investors to have the confidence to commit capital to horticultural development – knowing that their crops will have access to reliable irrigation even in drought years. The reservoir is more than just a large pond in the landscape; it is the anchor for a distribution network that will support land use change across Kaipara. Benefits include:
- Reliable water supply allows growers to shift from lower-value pastoral systems to high-value crops – such as avocados, citrus, and vegetables – which generate significantly more employment per hectare.
- Once water security is in place, secondary industries – such as packing, processing and logistics – typically follow, further increasing the economic benefits to the region.
Northland’s climate and soils give it a unique competitive advantage, and with water now available, its future as a horticultural powerhouse looks far more certain.
Te Waihekeora is expected to support up to 1000 hectares of new horticultural production within two years, adding significantly to the region’s GDP and creating new job opportunities for local communities.
From vision to outcomes
Back in 2015, Northland Regional Council commissioned the Northland Strategic Irrigation Infrastructure Study to provide the first region-wide evidence base for where irrigation would deliver the greatest benefit.
That study identified 18 areas containing over 186,000 hectares of potentially irrigable land and recommended focusing development into four priority clusters, one of which was Kaipara.
The report warned against fragmented development and called for collective, community-scale schemes to unlock maximum benefit while protecting environmental and cultural values.
Te Waihekeora is proof of concept that this approach works: by following a planned, evidence-based path, stakeholders have been able to build infrastructure that secures water for growers, encourages investment and shares benefits across the community.
The project demonstrates how a clear strategic vision, backed by good science and inclusive decision-making, can translate into tangible outcomes – stronger regional economies, new jobs, and greater resilience in the face of climate variability.
Benefits of reliable water go wide
The social and economic benefits of water storage are often under-appreciated. For Kaipara, the reservoir will help stabilise local employment, allowing families to stay in the district and helping to encourage young people to build their futures locally, rather than leaving in search of work.
A growing horticultural sector also drives investment in local infrastructure – from roads to communications – and supports education and training pathways that give the next generation meaningful careers in land-based industries.
Resilience is another major gain.
Dry soils in critical growing seasons put severe pressure on productivity, communities and the environment.
By capturing water when it is available and releasing it when it is needed, Te Waihekeora provides a buffer that smooths the highs and lows of rainfall, protecting production and helping maintain environmental flows when rivers are under stress.
This stability benefits not just irrigators, but the whole community.
Stored water can also provide firefighting reserves and may, in future, support additional uses such as stock water, small-scale hydro generation or community supply.
IrrigationNZ: Driving national water resilience
IrrigationNZ sees Te Waihekeora as a signal of where Aotearoa New Zealand must head to futureproof its food production systems and rural economies. Water storage and irrigation are enablers of productivity as well as resilience.
As climate change drives hotter, drier summers and more intense rainfall events, the old ‘just in time’ approach to water supply is increasingly risky.
IrrigationNZ works to ensure that water storage projects, like Te Waihekeora, are built on sound principles and that irrigated land activities are operated to high standards.
We set the benchmark for what good irrigation looks like through the development of technical codes of practice and standards. These define efficient, environmentally responsible irrigation and provide a pathway for others to achieve it.
Our training programmes, recognised across New Zealand, equip irrigators, designers, and managers with the skills to use water wisely, meet regulatory requirements, and maximise returns while minimising impacts.
Advocacy is another key part of our role. We engage with government agencies such as Ministry for Primary Industries, Ministry for the Environment, Kānoa, and regional councils to shape policy settings that encourage investment in water infrastructure while ensuring environmental safeguards are met. Good water policy must balance economic, cultural and ecological outcomes. When it does, it enables projects like Te Waihekeora to proceed with strong community support and deliver benefits that are widely shared.
Looking to the future, Te Waihekeora is not the end point – it is a model for what comes next. Across New Zealand, other regions are facing similar challenges with water security. Wairarapa, Tairāwhiti, Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay are all grappling with how to secure supply in a way that supports thriving rural economies while meeting environmental expectations.
A coordinated approach is needed, with central government, local councils, iwi, landowners, and industry working together to identify priority areas, secure funding, and deliver infrastructure.
IrrigationNZ is committed to being part of the next growth phase. We will continue to provide leadership, guidance, and training, and to champion the idea that water availability is not just a private good, but a national asset. When we invest in water, we invest in the future – in food security, in rural livelihoods, and in the health of our environment.
Nationally, we need to keep learning and do more
The opening of Te Waihekeora shows that with vision, collaboration and good governance, New Zealand can build infrastructure that delivers shared benefits for generations.
As a country, we will need more projects like this to navigate the twin challenges of feeding a growing population and adapting to a changing climate.
Te Waihekeora is proving that it can be done – and done well.
The challenge now is to keep going, applying the lessons learned here to create a resilient, prosperous and sustainable water future for the whole country.
Fast facts
- Reservoir capacity: 3.3 million cubic metres
- Location: near Glinks Gully, Kaipara
- Planned service area: up to 1000 hectares of new horticultural development within two years
- Current uptake: local growers, including iwi-owned enterprises such as Te Uri o Hau Avocado Orchard, are already taking water from the reservoir to irrigate crops and protect trees through the region’s increasingly dry summers.