The proposed Heretaunga water storage site at Whanawhana has been identified and selected as the preferred water storage location for Heretaunga. The site has been under investigation for several years and comprehensive pre-feasibility investigations determined no major technical, ecological, or commercial flaws.

In early 2025, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC), with funding support from Kānoa, approved taking the project to a feasibility phase and committed $3.2 million for this purpose. The feasibility study is planned to be completed by September 2026.

At the same time, HBRC endorsed transferring the project to a new independent governing body.  The shift from HBRC to Heretaunga Water Storage Limited (HWSL) marks a deliberate transfer of decision-making and project ownership to major community water users and independent commercial interests.

HBRC has carried the project through prefeasibility, defined the strategic case, and secured public co-funding. However, determining whether large-scale water storage should ultimately proceed requires leadership from those who would depend on, benefit from, and ultimately invest in the scheme.