Farm advice: Is irrigation water storage and supply infrastructure critical?

IrrigatioNZ discusses the crucial role of irrigation supply infrastructure in supporting the primary industry

In mid-June of this year, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) kicked off a consultation programme titled ‘Strengthening the Resilience of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Critical Infrastructure System’. The primary objective of the consultation is to ensure a secure foundation for a productive, sustainable, and inclusive economy in New Zealand.  We hope to hear the results of this consultation and further engage later this year.

Over the past year, IrrigationNZ has held discussions with Te Waihanga, the Infrastructure Commission, as well as the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and the Ministry for the Environment, regarding the crucial role of irrigation supply infrastructure in supporting the primary sector. Our focus has been on determining whether irrigation water storage and distribution align with the accepted definitions of critical infrastructure.

As outlined by DPMC documentation, critical infrastructure encompasses services that are indispensable for the functioning of society, the economy, public safety and security, and the provision of public services. During recent discussions with infrastructure risk advisors, it became evident that any loss, damage, or disruption to irrigation entities could significantly impair the provision of essential food chain services, potentially impacting lives and livelihoods.

Although New Zealand law does not currently define critical infrastructure, numerous entities across the country are considered essential services. These include, but are not limited to, energy, telecommunications, water services (freshwater, wastewater, and stormwater), food and grocery providers, financial services, cloud data storage providers, and the transport system.

Considering the role of large-scale irrigation water supply schemes, it’s apparent that they do play a similarly critical role in substantial portions of the rural economy and therefore social resilience. The failure or inability of these schemes to meet the demands of irrigated operations could have severe repercussions.

The consultation programme identifies four megatrends that will shape New Zealand’s future infrastructure systems, with climate change being the number one highlighted risk. Climate change is projected to undermine the resilience of New Zealand’s critical infrastructure by intensifying stresses, vulnerabilities, and the risk of shocks. The impact of Cyclone Gabrielle serves as a reminder of the vulnerability of our primary sector.

However, we’re now facing another extreme, El Niño. NIWA has confirmed the El Niño climate pattern has officially arrived for the New Zealand 2023/24 summer. They’ve published some sobering maps setting out which eastern regions will likely experience above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall for at least the period of October to December.

The primary sector may be about to face some tough challenges for the 2023/24 summer and potentially even into the next; El Niño has been known to last for 18 months. While New Zealand is favoured by an abundance of freshwater, it does not always fall where and when it’s needed; El Niño can significantly modify those patterns.

If we find ourselves in the midst of a deep drought, the repercussions on irrigation-dependent food production, especially fruits and vegetables, could be profound, especially in areas without the provision of adequate water capture and storage. The anguish of floods earlier this year has spurred our government to consider legislation for community retreat. However, let’s not just focus on the immediate and very real impacts of the season at hand.

New Zealand’s first National Adaptation Plan (NAP) released back in August 2022 emphasised the direct effects of climate change, which include more frequent and extreme weather events (such as storms, heatwaves, and heavy rainfall) posing risks to infrastructure resilience; fewer frost and snow days impacting hydrology and the seasonal snowmelt cycle, thereby affecting the energy sector; more frequent and severe droughts, exerting pressure on freshwater resources and potentially affecting the reliable supply of drinking water and electricity generation; and sea-level rise, which may compromise existing communities and critical infrastructure assets.

IrrigationNZ has engaged with key stakeholders to raise awareness that water infrastructure encompasses more than just human drinking water, as mentioned in the NAP. 

The Infrastructure chapter of the NAP outlined a series of actions aimed at enhancing the resilience of infrastructure services critical to New Zealand’s economy and communities in the face of climate change. Resilient infrastructure is of utmost importance, as it supports community and business adaptation while safeguarding the well-being of future generations.

IrrigationNZ believes it’s highly important that as a nation we develop a much longer-term, strategic approach to water availability and security, including making provisions for our critical infrastructure for the benefit of all segments of our community.

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