The Waihao Downs Irrigation Scheme has resource consent to take up to 38 million cubic metres of water a year from the Lower Waitaki River.
It plans to irrigate 6800 hectares of land on up to 51 farms in the Waihao Downs area of the Waimate district
Waihao Downs Irrigation chairman Paul Harrison says the scheme has received nearly $100,000 from the Ministry of Agriculture's community irrigation fund which will be used to pay for the design of the scheme.
He says the company hopes to have a pre-design and a price for people to consider before the end of the year.
