Te Waari Carkeek (Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Toa) leads the karakia at an event to mark the completion of the Waimea dam diversion culvert. A newly completed 165m-long diversion culvert for the Waimea dam was blessed by iwi on Friday and then opened, taking the Lee River on a diverted flow path temporarily. Like other projects across New Zealand, construction of the Waimea dam was hampered by the Covid-19 level 4 lockdown this year. It is a council controlled organisation, a joint venture between majority shareholder Tasman District Council and Waimea Irrigators Ltd.READ MORE:* Watercare chair appointed to Waimea dam project board* Waimea dam construction ramps up* Rock risk 'identified' before Waimea dam build started and budget blew out by $25mWaimea Water Ltd/Supplied Waimea Water Ltd chairman David Wright speaks to the crowd at the blessing of the Waimea dam diversion culvert. MARTIN DE RUYTER/STUFF Waimea Water Ltd chief executive Mike Scott provides an update on the Waimea dam project from the construction site in the Lee Valley, near Nelson.

Source: Stuff August 17, 2020 22:41 UTC