'Mt Cook of rivers' will not be tamed as Govt rejects Waitaha hydropower scheme

Wednesday, 28 August 2019

The Government will spend $3.9m to develop South Westland’s natural visitor attractions.

The Government has declined a hydro-scheme that would have tamed a ferocious stretch of water known as the 'Mt Cook of rivers'.

The $100 million scheme would have generated enough electricity to power about 12,000 households.

Westpower, a 100 per cent community-owned company, had applied for a Department of Conservation (DOC) concession for the scheme on the Waitaha River in Westland, one of the country's most spectacular and untamed landscapes.

The final decision rested with Minister for the Environment David Parker, who declined the application despite DOC granting approval in principle.

* Wild Waitaha River to be tamed by hydro-scheme

Westpower chairman Mike Newcombe said the decision has 'shattered West Coasters' ambitions for the sake of environment interests'.

The Morgan Gorge on the Waitara River in Westland.

'We are utterly stunned by this decision. West Coast interests and long-term benefits have been swept aside,' Newcombe said.

He questioned the Government's commitment to regional economic growth and addressing the significant threats from climate change through renewable energy projects.

'It certainly seems so when a great opportunity to create a renewable energy project and enduring benefit for the community and broader region – developed through more than a decade of planning and consultation – has been knocked back in capitulation to minority interests intent on locking up the West Coast forever to the detriment of the local community.'

He said the proposal was for a 'run of the river' hydro scheme that would have offered West Coasters increased energy supply, reliability, self-sufficiency and ultimately resilience in the event of a natural disaster.

It would have provided jobs and increased business confidence as a result of a more reliable and cost-effective energy supply, he said.

An application for a hydroscheme on the Waitaha River on the West Coast has been declined.

'We put up a proposal that ticks all the boxes: renewable, sustainable energy, long-term regional economic development boost, careful environmental stewardship – and yet it was declined. It is an alarming decision not just for the Coast but for regional New Zealand.'

He said the company would be reviewing the detail of the decision.

Environment Minister David Parker said the application was declined because establishing the power scheme in this location would have significant impacts on the natural character of the area, the intrinsic value of the area and people's enjoyment of it.

'The area is largely unmodified by humans. It is near to pristine and yet is accessible for recreation. The area is valued for its natural beauty and wilderness qualities for recreation. The proposal would have significantly undermined the area's intrinsic values which people experience when they tramp and kayak there,' he said.

He considered expert advice and submitters' views, and concluded the adverse effects of the activity could not be adequately or reasonably mitigated.

He said by law he was not allowed to take economic impact on the Coast into consideration.

'It would have brought some economic benefit to the West Coast, but it wouldn't have changed the price of power,' he said.

He was very confident he had made the right decision.

Whitewater New Zealand President Nigel Parry said he was relieved with the decision.

'The Waitaha is a really special place and should be retained in its wild state, particularly when there is an approved scheme in a heavily modified environment waiting to be built on the Arnold.'

Trustpower was granted approval to build a 46mw hydro power scheme in the Arnold Valley in 2010, which has yet to be built. The Waitaha scheme would have produced a maximum of 20mw.

Parry said he acknowledged the social and economic benefits the scheme would have brought but said biodiversity, wilderness and recreation values should not be overlooked.

'As kayakers and river users, we get a unique view of these remote places and we feel a responsibility to advocate for the preservation of New Zealand's wild rivers and whitewater resources.'

He said nationally a river of the Waitaha's calibre was rare and should be kept in its wild state.

'The gorge is amazing. People go up there all the time to enjoy the hot pools, it's not just about the people who can kayak down it, who are few and far between,' he said.

West Coast Labour MP Damien O'Connor said he was 'disappointed from a local perspective' and Westpower were proven to be responsible environment managers.

'It's always been a line call. The Minister has made the call… It is disappointing but this is not going to finish the West Coast. It is an area that requires very high skill to kayak..I guess it's like the Everest of hiking, only the very best can do it. And that was one of the reasons why it should be protected,' he said.

O'Connor said it took so long to make a decision, because it was a 'hard call'. The public hearings took place in 2016.

'In the end the process was thorough,' he said.

Westland mayor Bruce Smith said he was 'gutted' with the decision.

'I am completely in disbelief. I read the reports the Minister relied on and can't see anything useful in making the decision. I look at it from Westpower's point of view which is owned by the West Coast community. They spent $2m and 10 years on this thing that would have made us self-sufficient in electricity. If we want economic growth we need to be self-sufficient,' he said.

'It's not good for the West Coast economy. It's just another move by this Government to lock up the West Coast as a playground for others.'

Fewer than a dozen people have successfully paddled the Morgan Gorge, the most challenging part of the river, and no-one has traversed its entire length.

It has drawn parallels among kayakers to Mt Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain.

If approved, the scheme would have at times reduced the river's flow by up to 85 per cent, effectively drying it out. The proposal did not include a dam, but a weir and other structures would have been built at the upstream end of Morgan Gorge as well as a 2km access road, powerhouse and tunnel.

DOC had approved in principle a 49-year concession for the scheme and received 3264 submissions, mostly in opposition.

Forest & Bird opposed the scheme due to the risk to threatened species such as blue duck, long-tailed bat, kaka and kea, which all live in the area. Spokeswoman Jen Miller said she was 'absolutely delighted'.

'This is one of New Zealand's last truly wild rivers as well as pristine conservation land. There are already consented, unbuilt hydro schemes on the coast, so the economic case for this one was very weak. This is a win for conservation, a win for kayakers, and a win for future generations of New Zealanders,' she said.

* An earlier version of this story said Westpower spent $10m on the proposed hydro scheme, quoting Westland mayor Bruce Smith. Westpower actually spent $2m.