What was the Community Irrigation Fund?

The Community Irrigation Fund (CIF) aimed to build resilience in agricultural producers and rural communities, and ensure their long-term economic growth within sustainable environmental limits by reducing the risks they face from water shortages caused by climate change.

The CIF provided grants to assist:

• promoters of community water storage and/or irrigation schemes
• generate investor and/or community support
• carry out detailed engineering design for schemes; and
• local government to undertake activities contributing to a strategic plan for water management and that consider the potential for rural irrigation-related infrastructure.

Financial support was available for up to 50 percent of the cash costs of the projects for up to four years for community schemes and threee years for water strategies.

What is a community water storage or irrigation scheme?

A community scheme is one that is initiated, developed and used by multiple members of a rural community, primarily for irrigation.

Who could apply?

The CIF welcomed applications from:

• promoters of community water storage and/or irrigation schemes that have already completed a feasibility study. Applications are particularly welcome from promoters of storage-based schemes who can demonstrate that their scheme represents a good use of the CIF money; and
• local government (including both Regional and all relevant Territorial Authorities) and/or an entity undertaking the local government-led water strategy on behalf of local government.

Applicants had to be New Zealand-registered legal entities.

What did the CIF fund?

Community schemes

Grants could be used to cover the design of new community water storage of irrigation scheme development or for upgrading existing irrigation scheme. The grants could be used for:

• a detailed look at the preliminary design in the feasibility study and any additional work required to refine initial costs.
• design development involving:
  • preparation of interim and final design reports
  • identification of appropriate standards
  • developed design of the works
  • preparation of specifications and other documents as required for the calling of tenders and/or construction of the works, and
  • co-ordination of design and documentation provided by other consultants;
• preparation of tender documents (i.e. packages for notification of request for tender); and
• preparation of contract documents for building the scheme (e.g. NZS3910).

Grants could be used for activities that broadly aimed to generate investor and/or community support for community water storage and/or irrigation schemes. Activities included:

• supporting a project manager or public affairs co-ordinator;
• promotional and communications activities;
• facilitating discussions with the community on relevant issues;
• developing a governance structure;
• developing a prospectus for potential investors in the community;
• investigating a range of potential scheme funding arrangements;
• facilitating farmer investment (e.g. showing farmers the benefits and costs of irrigation); and
• investigating possibilities for the multiple use of water by communities (e.g. recreational opportunities).

Water strategies

Grants could be used for activities that contributed to the development of a water strategy for an area. Activities included:

• technical reports - water resource assessments in the form of the nature of the resource and available water such as:
  • water resource assessments,
  • water demand reports;
  • environmental flow reports (restricted funding available) for the management of rivers for example:
    • flow investigation reports (flow and/or landscape related)
• environmental impact reports;
• economic impact reports;
• social impact reports;
• development of evaluation criteria;
• writing a strategy;
• consultation with experts, stakeholders and public;
• providing information for communities and determining community preferences on the options;
• promotional and communication activities;
• supporting a project manager; and
• administration costs of project.

How much money did the CIF have?

A total of $5.7 million (excluding GST) in grants is available, spread over eight years (2008/09 to 2015/2016). Successful community scheme applicants will receive funding for up to 50 percent of the cash costs of generating investor and/or community support, for a maximum of four years. Successful local government applicants will receive funding for up to 50 percent of the costs of developing a water strategy, for a maximum of three years. In exceptional cases, if funds allow and with the permission of MAF's Deputy Director General (Policy), funding may be granted for a longer period.