Crown Irrigation told to wind up, Treasury to find new home for $62m loans

(Image: Getty)

Fri, 20 Oct 2023

Outgoing agriculture minister Damien O’Connor has instructed the crown-owned irrigation entity to begin winding itself up with Treasury tasked to find a new home for its loans worth more than $60m.When the Labour party came into power six years ago, supported by NZ First and the Green party, the three governing parties agreed, as part of the coalition agreements, to stop funding large-scale irrigation schemes, saying they should be economically viable on their own, without requiring public financing.“We must also be mindful of...

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