Water is important to us in many ways.
IrrigationNZ represents over 4,500 members nationally, including irrigation schemes, individual irrigators, irrigator user groups, and the irrigation service industry, and we also have some international members. We also share the story of irrigation and freshwater management with the wider community.
Our irrigator members include a wide range of farmers and growers – sheep and beef, dairy and cropping farmers, horticulturalists, and winegrowers. We represent over 120 irrigation service industry companies – manufacturers, distributors, irrigation design and install companies, and irrigation decision support services.
We are a voluntary-membership, not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to create an environment for the responsible use of water for food and fibre production.
As an organisation we actively promote best practice irrigation and carry out a range of training and education activities. Over the last five years, we have trained over 3,000 irrigators on different aspects of irrigation best practices to improve water use efficiency and better manage environmental effects.
IrrigationNZ members share many of the same goals as other New Zealanders:
- to reduce their environmental footprints and see improvements in the health of our waterways;
- to contribute to the well-being of their communities; and
- to provide for a sustainable future for New Zealand.
There is so much that goes hand in hand with irrigation such as freshwater management, water policy, water storage, technology, training, and much more.
Our small team at IrrigationNZ is made up of policy, business, and training experts, is across all of this, and has been since 2004.
Now more than ever we need to encourage the best use of water for our land and the environment, all while meeting the demand to grow great food and fibre. We are on a journey and we can't wait to have more people join us - explore our website and find out more and don't hesitate to get in touch!
Click here to find out what we have achieved recently.
WHAT WE DO FOR YOU?
IrrigationNZ proactively supports irrigators, irrigation schemes, irrigator user groups and the irrigation service industry. To do this we provide -
• Advocacy with central government - to protect your rights and interests in irrigation and water use-related issues
• Media relations - to inform the public of the irrigation story and its significance to NZ
• Practical knowledge and training - to help you achieve good management practice irrigation expectations
• Regular information - to keep you up to date on all things irrigation
• Industry standards, codes of practice and guidelines - to ensure we control our own destiny
• Networks with other irrigators, schemes, user groups and service providers - to help you learn and exchange ideas
• Technical assistance - we have the expertise at hand to help you.