9 Apr 2014

Irrigation sector on charm offensive

6:25 am on 9 April 2014

The irrigation industry has launched a new initiative aimed at winning the public over when it comes to water storage.

The SMART irrigation framework was unveiled on Tuesday night at Irrigation New Zealand's annual conference in Napier and includes a three-step plan for irrigators to follow so they can minimise their impact on the environment, as well as a new public website.

Chief executive Andrew Curtis said the SMART website explained how, where and why irrigation took place.

"And there's a whole section on why is it good for New Zealand, which talks about ... economic benefits, they're a given," Mr Curtis said.

It also talked about the recreational and environmental initiatives which were going on, he said.