National pledges $300m in loans for agricultural water storage

The National Party has pledged to provide up to $300 million in low-cost loans to help farmers increase water storage if re-elected. These concessional loans would be repayable within ten years and would be managed through the existing Primary Sector Growth Fund. The party aims to make it easier for farmers to collect rainwater during wet periods to use during dry conditions.

Priority regions for these loans include Northland, Tairāwhiti, Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa, and Canterbury. However, another report identifies different priority areas, including Bay of Plenty orchards, Central Otago and Waitaki fruit-growing, Marlborough, Nelson, and southern dryland areas. National also intends to establish a national water storage register and publish a national rural and provincial water-use strategy in 2027.

To improve fertiliser security, National promises to negotiate agreements with key supplier countries, using the existing New Zealand–Singapore Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies as a model. The party also plans to create a $10 million fund to support domestic fertiliser production and reduce reliance on overseas suppliers. This fund would co-invest in production, processing, storage, and distribution projects.

National also proposes introducing nationwide standards for irrigation to simplify the resource consent process for smaller on-farm storage facilities. The party's agriculture spokesperson, Todd McClay, stated that "New Zealand receives more rainfall per person than almost any developed nation on earth, yet too many of our regions still face real water insecurity".

Where reports differ

• Reports disagree on the specific priority regions for water storage loans, with one listing Northland, Tairāwhiti, Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa and Canterbury, while another lists Bay of Plenty, Central Otago, Waitaki, Marlborough, Nelson and southern dryland areas

Compiled from reports by RNZ, NZ Herald, The Post and Stuff.