On Friday 7 February, we were delighted to welcome Prime Minister the Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop, our new South Island Minister James Meager, Nelson MP Rachel Boyack, mayors Tim King and Nick Smith, Koata Ltd Chief Executive Hemi D Toia, as well as many Waimea Water Ltd (WWL) directors, staff and guests, to the official opening of the Waimea Community Dam.
As the Prime Minster noted, this project is an “incredible legacy”, albeit one “we wish we’d got onto is sooner”. And as MP Boyack noted, the region now has water security, which was something people across Aotearoa would be “very, very jealous of”.
Following speeches, the Prime Minister cut the ribbon and the two shareholders Mayor Tim King and Chair Murray King pushed the buttons to open the discharge valves. A commemorative plaque was then unveiled by the Prime Minister and WWL Chair David Wright, which will be displayed at the dam site.
From everyone at WWL, a massive thanks and congratulations to everyone who made this much-needed infrastructure project possible, providing water security, economic benefit and prosperity to the region for generations and generations to come.
