Water plan to pump life into economy | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

Masterton's recession-hit primary sector will be offset by the proposed $310 million Wairarapa irrigation scheme ensuring a watertight economic future for the region, says a Wellington think tank.

A report released this week by regional economic development agency Grow Wellington shows there were 51 fewer primary sector businesses in Masterton in 2009 than there were in 2007.

Geoff Copps, primary sector manager for Grow Wellington, said that while the figure represented a decline of 3.6 per cent, it was less than the 8.3 per cent decline recorded for the primary sector across the greater Wellington region for the same period, and less than the 5.9 per cent decline nationwide.

Primary sector businesses in Masterton make up roughly one third of primary sector businesses in the Wellington region and employ just over 1000 people - about one third of the sector's regional workforce.

The agricultural irrigation project, which aims to harness winter moisture from the Tararuas, is forecast to boost the Wellington regional GDP by $526 million and Mr Copps said it could significantly reverse the decline in primary sector business numbers and jobs- not only in Masterton, but in the Wairarapa and across the whole of the Wellington region.

He said the purpose of the project was to "future proof the productive capacity of the Wairarapa, and the subsequent economic and social return, through water storage and irrigation opportunities".

Last year, a leadership group was formed to oversee the development of the scheme - Grow Wellington is part of this 10-member coalition which also includes the three Wairarapa district councils, iwi groups, Greater Wellington Regional Council and the Wairarapa Regional Irrigation Trust.

About 9000 jobs are expected to be created and Mr Copps said studies predicted significant benefits from the employment boom increasing GDP- not just for Wairarapa but across the wider Wellington region.