Newsletters

8^th October 1999

Dear Shareholder,

By separate enclosures please find herewith documentation concerning:-

• The Annual General Meeting

• Election of Directors
• Profiles of Director Candidates
• Proxy voting instructions and Proxy Forms

• Irrigation Brochure including important information re Control and Support.

These enclosures both cover very important issues and you are urged take time to familiarise yourself with their content.

Official Opening and Evening Function

As advised the official Opening is scheduled for 6.00pm on Saturday, 30^th October 1999 at the intake near Browns Rock, Waimakariri River.

It will take the form of several short addresses by a few appropriate identities, a Karakia or Blessing of the Scheme by Mr Rakiihia Tau, Upokurunanga of Tuahuriri, and the symbolic opening of the sluice gates to allow water to flood through into the silt ponds and the irrigation canals.

When the water race system was opened in 1894, the Prime Minister of New Zealand performed the Opening Ceremony. Your Board considered several options at length as to who would be the most appropriate person to officiate at the opening of our scheme.

Because of the strong and enduring support from the Waimakariri District Council that the Waimakariri Irrigation Committee and WIL since their respective inceptions, it was unanimously agreed that we invite the Mayor of the District, Mrs Janice Skurr to perform this historic task. We are delighted that the Mayor has accepted this invitation.

By now all of you shareholders should have received invitations to the two October 30^th events; the opening and the evening function.

It is vital that you reply to Executive Events (phone 03 313 2097, Fax 03 313 2098) as soon as possible. Admission to the evening function will only be by identifying name badges that will be sent out on the basis of the replies received up to 15^th October. Late registrations will not be able to be accommodated on the day.

It will also help immeasurably if you could also advise E.E. if you are not able to attend.

The fixed costs (marquee, toilets, sound system, etc) involved in holding this event at Browns Rock for, potentially, 250 shareholders and their Partners, sponsors and VIP Guests, perhaps 550 people, is very high and we are extremely grateful for the very strong support of the sponsors listed at the rear of this newsletter who have agreed to contribute most of the cost involved.

It is true that all of these groups have been contractors to the scheme and thereby have benefited financially to some degree. However, all of our contracts have been let on a contested basis and the fact that we expect to complete the scheme comfortably on or within budget, testifies to the sharpness of the pencils these groups used.

Thus, the strong sponsorship support we have received is doubly commendable.

Website

Not all of our Shareholders are presently in a position to access the internet, but we believe that enough of you are to justify our setting up a WIL website.

Our website is presently being designed and will have two major components - a Static side for such unchanging or seldom changing information as scheme description, race maps, resource consents, people, etc, and a Status side where daily flow data, race problems, intake difficulties, planned maintenance, etc, can be accessed by our shareholders for answers to "why?" or to the people that can supply the answers.

It will also be able to send out faxes as required to those that don’t have internet access and even phone selected numbers with automated messages. Through links to other sites (NIWA for weather forecasts; CRC for Waimakariri River information, well data, etc) will also be possible.

We hope to have the site, possibly www.wil.co.nz, up and running before Christmas. In the meantime, please access your Raceman as indicated in the enclosed brochure.

Leasing of Shares

The following shareholders have shares to lease. If you wish to lease shares from another shareholder it is preferable that the lessee is on the same race line; on a race line upstream, or on a race line having surplus capacity. Board approval is required as well as a completed Agreement for Transfer of Water Quota for any share leasing.

Shares

Mr Hurst
Phone: 313 5180
Address: 542 Oxford Road 5

Mr Fowler
Phone: 312 5683
Address: Worlingham Road 9

Mr Rossiter
Phone: 312 5488
Address: 2183 South Eyre Road 20

Mr Chapman
Phone: 312 5023
Address: 1430 North Eyre Road 31

Mr R Allison
Phone: 312 8554
Address: Fernside 40

Mr C Houston
Phone: 312 5036 920
Address: Downs Road 9

Mr B Inch
Phone: 312 4235
Address: Carleton Road 80

Mr G Williams
Phone: 313 6499
Address: 405 German Road 10

Mr D Small
Phone: 312 5449
Address: 2209 South Eyre Road 18

General Items of Interest

Some shareholders have questioned their need to pay the water charge because they believe that their supply line is not quite ready. We believe that we can supply water to all of the properties that are ready for it within the 48 hour notice period we require. We have two digger teams standing by to action any work that may be necessary.

We have been experiencing some teething problems with the intake lifting out of the water during operation. The designers are presently making some modifications to render the unit a little less "skittish". We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. Such teething problems can be expected with a system such as ours.

This raises the point that it is important that your own system is designed with appropriate safeguards, such as auto shutdown for loss of water, or overheating for any reasons. Your system may run out of water on occasion and damage to the pump or motor may well occur unless they close down smartly.

Finally, the first property to formally apply for and begin irrigating with water from the scheme was that of Mr Graham Bain, Thongcaster Road. Something for the history books.

Best wishes,

Don Young,
Chairman