Waimea Dam dispute could end up like North Otago scheme, crown funder says

Waimea Dam dispute could end up like North Otago scheme, crown funder says
Work begins on the Waimea Dam. (Image: RNZ/Tracy Neal)
Riley Kennedy
The adjudication process between Waimea Water and the contractors that built its dam has the “potential to go the same way” as the roughly $13 million dispute that triggered the receivership of the Kurow-Duntroon scheme.That’s according to Crown Irrigation Investments (CIIL), which told a parliamentary select committee the situation was “similar”, with the contractors litigating over the project’s cost blowout.Initially earmarked at roughly $100m, the Waimea Dam in Tasman’s Lee Valley was the large...

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Staff reporters 12 Oct 2025