The High Court has ruled against the Environment Court and allowed a large irrigation scheme to go ahead in North Canterbury.
The Environment Court had come out against consents for the Waitohi Irrigation and Hydro Scheme in September, but the Canterbury Regional Council and Hurunui Water Project - the company behind the scheme - appealed the decision.
The High Court has now ruled in favour of the appeals, allowing the irrigation scheme to go ahead.
Hurunui Water Project chairperson Lindsay Lloyd welcomed the court decision and said they could now seek funding to develop the $400 million scheme.
The irrigation scheme will take water mainly from the Hurunui River to irrigate up to 60,000 hectares of land on several hundred properties.
