The Country 28/08/25: Karen Williams talks to Jamie Mackay

The chief executive of Irrigation NZ was at the Horticulture Industry Awards last night, and next, she’s off to the US to look at dams, which dam-fan Mackay is very jealous of. Plus, is there a “dam” big announcement on the horizon?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well gla dinner Industry Awards for Hart New Zealand. Got
a text last night from Rowena duncanm She was there
in all of finery with Vanessa winning now these days
with MPI. Of course, Vanessa was the former Chief executive
of Irrigation New Zealand. It's musical chairs because Rowena has
taken the job of this woman who went to Irrigation

(00:21):
New Zealand, Karen Williams. Why are rapper arable farmer to boot? Karen?
Did you enjoy your big night out the glitz and
glamour of the hort Industry Awards.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
It was a lot of fun and good afternoon, Jamie.
They had ticky tane entertaining and you know, I don't
know that I've seen live entertainment at some of the
EGG events, so yeah, well done to Haught New Zealand.
They put on a segulus couple of days.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
What do you mean you haven't seen entertainment? What about
the MC at the Primary Industry Awards? You didn't sing though,
No I can't sing. I'm tone deaf and I've got
two left feet. Anyhow, this is not about me, It's
about you. I'm really jealous I'm really jealous because I'm
hearing through the grapevine I Rowena that you're after the
United States to look at dams, and one of my favorite,

(01:10):
probably my favorite dam of all time and in the world,
is in the United States, the Hoover Dam.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
Yeah. Yes, so I'm pretty excited also, And I remember
when I was studying at Otaga University, we did a
bit of a dam tour up the White Tacky Valley,
so this will be next level from there. But yeah,
I'm joining the Trailblazer study Tour which is heading to
the northwest of the USA, sponsored by Zomatic, which is

(01:37):
you know, they're producing into pivots and letters and made
by Lindsay, which is an international production producer or variegation equipment.
So look pretty excited. Hoping that the tour itself will
bring in the Grand Curly Dam, which is on the
Columbia River, but you're hoping to get to the Hoover

(01:58):
Dam sort of under my own steam before that kicks off.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
I know you want a couple of nights in Vegas.
It's only a short helicopter ride from Vegas.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Karen, that's right. Yeah, And who wouldn't love going to Vegas.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
Well, have you been there before?

Speaker 2 (02:14):
No, no, I haven't.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
I'll give you the clue. I've been there a couple
of times or once. That's probably once too many to
be honest. But it's great fun at night, but it's
a it's a depressing place during the day, all these
people gambling their lives away.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah. Well, hopefully no testos or anything. Late on the hangover.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
You could renew you your wedding vals at the Chapel
of Love with an Elvis impersonator.

Speaker 2 (02:38):
Could do, could do?

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Okay. So talking about dams, We've got Shane Jones on
the show tomorrow. Is he going to make a big
or a damn big announcement about dams?

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Well, we were really rapped to see some announcements come
out from Minister Jones yesterday from the Regional Infrastructure Fund
and you know they are targeted and in that East
coast pat Apaty Hawk's Bay area and just you know,
starting to turbo charge some of the Haught expansions. So great,
a great timing with the Hart conference being on. But

(03:08):
also you know that water storage, flood resilience and Sena
Maori projects, so look great to see that. You know
that might not be the end of announcements, but where
we're sort of waiting with everyone else to see what's coming.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
So there is a big announcement tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
I couldn't confirm that, but the Minister will have some
some insights potentially about that.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
Before you jump on the big bird to the United
States to spend a couple of days in Vegas. Karen,
who's going to stay at home and do all the
work on the on the farm and the waira rapper.

Speaker 2 (03:42):
Oh, well, we've got a couple of great team members,
so my husband is joining me and yeah, it'll be good,
good learning from us from a farming perspective, but also
with my varrigation hat on. And you know, some of
the winners of the Trailblazer Awards are also joining us,
So our friend shame at Manaways manager Niko Butler, will

(04:02):
be on there. And we'll have people from gunder Windy
in Australia and Tasmania through this sort of Canterbury and
the water Lapa. So it's going to be a really
mixed group. It's going to be fascinating learning from each
other and certainly hearing how the Americans do it at scale,
but bringing back some key messages around water management and

(04:24):
how we're sort of managing that for good outcomes killing.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
How's early spring? Can I call it early spring? Treating
you and wharrappa.

Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah, we've been mixed with lovely. In the last couple
of weeks. We've seen a bit more sunshine, which has
been good. But we've been on the whole pretty fortunate
with a kind winter and good grass growth, so yeah,
can't complain really.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
Karen Williams, thanks for your time, safe travels. Looking forward
to the photos and the picks coming back from Vegas.

Speaker 2 (04:53):
Yeah, nocent of some of them, but thanks Jamie, good luck.

Speaker 1 (04:57):
In the chapel. I love see it.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
B