Farmers are facing a drought and the government should use some of its $1 billion regional development fund for water storage and irrigation schemes, National's Nathan Guy says.
The former primary industries minister questioned Regional Development Minister Shane Jones in Parliament on Wednesday but couldn't get a commitment from him.
"Alarmingly, all he could say was that the final criteria for the fund is yet to be determined," Mr Guy said today.
![Nathan Guy](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/BPPPOBFNHLNIDMLX63JAGN6KYA.jpg?auth=d3b8704f023409f1f8936646c2eef3ffeb0c0bca9b1cf0ab93fbbd35d73f7dd4&width=16&height=15&quality=70&smart=true)
"The new minister has $1b to throw around ... yet this government appears to be refusing to back any new regional water storage."