''Hugely significant'' is how North Otago Irrigation Company chief executive officer Robyn Wells describes the impact on the Waitaki economy of the company's scheme since it started operation in 2006.
The company recently released an economic and social impact assessment it had Rationale consultants carry out.
It covered the scheme's command area from Duntroon to Maheno and Oamaru, looking at the 2001 census year before it was built, the 2006 census when it started and last year's census.
Stage 1 of the scheme covered 10,000ha and a start has now been made on stage 2 with another 3000ha being irrigated.
The assessment showed the scheme added $83 million a year in revenue to the district's economy and created an extra 274 jobs.
It also had widespread positive social effects in the irrigated area compared with the overall district, including a higher rate of growth in population, households, families and dwellings, higher proportion of people aged 15-64, higher proportion of children up to 15, higher household and personal incomes and more fulltime employment.
Yesterday, Mrs Wells presented the results to the Waitaki District Council's customer services committee.
It showed the scheme was having ''a very positive impact'' on the district and had been reflected in Oamaru businesses and employment, she said.
When the scheme was being planned, the council invested $10 million, which earned interest, into additional infrastructure for a second stage of 10,000ha.
That is being repaid as the scheme expands.
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher, who was on the council at the time, said that investment had not been supported by everyone, but reflected farmers would not be the only ones to benefit.
''Everything we hoped would happen has happened,'' he said, as the report showed there had been a ''trickle down'' to all sections of the community.
