Town versus country views emerged during this week's debate on whether the Waitaki District Council should extend a loan and increase its investment in the North Otago Irrigation Company.
There were passionate views both for and against during the public forum, before the council approved increasing the loan to $17 million and extending its term from 2016 to 2022, at its meeting on Wednesday.
Oamaru resident Ron Sim urged the council to ''step back'' and delay any decisions because ''there is no hurry''.
''We have Mr Big running around being Mr Big, but let's look after the ordinary bloke,'' he said about ''high-powered people'' lobbying for the loan.
With dairy prices dropping, the council was heading into a flawed situation and it was making a decision based on partial information, which would result in the wrong decision, he said.
Former councillor Helen Stead asked the council to delay any decisions another month and make public all the information it had, giving people a chance to comment.
The loan was ratepayers' funds that must be protected and had caused a ''town-country split'', which disturbed her.
Waitaki Irrigation Collective chairman Fraser McKenzie said nothing else he saw ticked all the boxes of economic development like irrigation, producing district-wide economic and social growth.
Collective policy manager Elizabeth Soal said much of the irrigation-generated wealth went back in the community.
Former councillor Kevin Malcolm told the council: ''Grab the opportunity, it's an opportunity you are privileged to have''.
Farmer David Douglas said irrigation would drought-proof an area and make properties that were losing equity and unprofitable highly profitable, benefiting the whole district.
North Otago Irrigation Company chief executive Robyn Wells said applying for an extension had always been about fulfilling the original vision for reliable access to water for as much of North Otago as possible.
Company chairman Leigh Hamilton said: ''We are very appreciative of the support the council has shown us since 2004 and do not take lightly the trust placed in us to turn this additional investment into economic and social benefits for North Otago.''
