Kuriger Barbara: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKuriger Barbara: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 26 May 2015. Volume:705;Page:3937. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]4.BARBARA KURIGER (National—Taranaki - King Country) to the Minister for Primary Industries: How will Budget 2015 help develop more water storage and irrigation projects?Hon NATHAN GUY (Minister for Primary Industries): As part of Budget 2015 irrigation projects will now receive through the Irrigation Acceleration Fund a kick-start of $25 million in operating funding for 5 years from 2016-17. The Irrigation Acceleration Fund helps support the development of irrigation infrastructure proposals to the stage where they are investment-ready which means that they must be commercially robust and demonstrate a high level of user and community support. Around 100000 hectares of new irrigated areas are expected from the Irrigation Acceleration Fund - funded projects to date with around 36000 hectares of that commissioned or currently being constructed.Barbara Kuriger: Why is this funding boost so important for our regions?Hon NATHAN GUY: That is a good question. The need for water storage projects is obvious given that nearly every part of the country has suffered through droughts at some stage over the last 3 or so years. We do not have a water shortage issue in New Zealand; we have a water storage issue. It just does not rain in the right place at the right time. Providing a consistent reliable water supply for farmers and growers has massive potential to boost growth create jobs and grow our exports from provincial regions.Barbara Kuriger: What other ways does the Government help support water storage in irrigation projects?Hon NATHAN GUY: The Government also supports water storage projects through Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd. which acts as a bridging investor for regional water infrastructure development. Over the last 2 years $120 million has been allocated to Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd with the potential to provide a further 125000 hectares of new irrigation. Work is under way to enable greater collaboration between Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd and the Irrigation Acceleration Fund. This will help to ensure that more of these critical regional water storage projects get to the construction stage. This is hugely exciting for rural New Zealand.Richard Prosser: Will the Government’s funding initiatives in the Budget assist in the promotion of the Ruataniwha Dam scheme?Hon NATHAN GUY: I could not hear him. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! It was difficult to hear. I did hear the question but I suspect some members did not. The mike might not have been on. I will ask Richard Prosser to repeat the question.Richard Prosser: Will the Government’s irrigation initiatives in the Budget assist in the promotion of the Ruataniwha Dam project?Hon NATHAN GUY: Currently the Irrigation Acceleration Fund has invested almost $6 million in Ruataniwha and that is now working through a process of getting a consent. Then it will need to prove to Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd that it is indeed investment-ready for them to have a look at it.