Waimate District Council: Uniting Urban and Rural Communities for the Environment
A harvest in Waimate District.
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he Waimate District Council, which governs a rural area of New Zealand’s South Island, works with the national government and local communities to promote productive agriculture while protecting water quality and the environment. In this interview, Waimate District Mayor Craig Rowley tells us about the improvements in irrigation efficiency that have been achieved in past years and about how the district intends to address the challenges of the future.
Craig Rowley: When I left school, I went overseas, then came back and went into the New Zealand Police. In 2010, after I had served in the police for 20 years, someone suggested that I should serve in the district council. I thought it was time to give back to the community, so I stood for council and was elected. I was a councilor for a 3‑year period, and when the mayor retired, I put my name in the hat and was elected as mayor in 2013. I’ve been here ever since. This is my third 3‑year term as mayor.
8 | IRRIGATION LEADER | March 2022
Craig Rowley: The Waimate District is in South Canterbury, on the East Coast of the South Island. It is approximately 3.5 million square kilometers (1.35 million square miles) in size and has about 8,000 residents. Because we have a large land area for our population size, we have a large roading network: We have about 750 kilometers (466 miles) of sealed roads and about the same distance of unsealed roads. Spreading the cost of the maintenance of the roading system across a small rate base poses some challenges. In terms of major industries, the district has two large dairy milk processing factories. One is run by Fonterra, a national farmer-owned cooperative. Fonterra is one of the largest cooperatives in the world and one of the largest exporters of milk worldwide. We also have Oceania Dairy, a Chinese-owned and operated dairy factory. It specializes in ultra-heat-treated milk products, particularly infant formula. Both factories are on the state highway. Oceania collects milk from a range of approximately 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) from the factory; it has a tight operation. irrigationleadermagazine.com
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE WAIMATE DISTRICT COUNCIL.
Irrigation Leader: Please tell us about your background and how you came to be in your current position.
Irrigation Leader: Please tell us about Waimate District.
