Government's Freshwater Action Plan an environmental disaster for some

Wednesday, 11 September 2019

Environmental groups have concerns about the future of the Waiau River in Southland.

The Waiau Rivercare Group says the Government's National Policy on Freshwater Management is an environmental disaster.

Group member Claire Jordan says draft statement will have dire consequences for the Waiau River, near Tuatapere, in Southland, because they say it has not been included in the freshwater management plan, which aims to put the health of the water first.

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The group was formed to protect the lower river catchment and they have concerns about the low levels of the river and how it is being managed.

Most of the water from the lower Waiau River, once referred to as the 'Mighty Waiau River', is diverted through the West Arm Power Station, located at the head of Lake Manapouri.

Ministry for the Environment water director Martin Workman said the Waiau [like all rivers] was subjected to the current National Policy Statement Fresh Water Management and the new National Policy Statement.

'A policy proposal relating to six major hydro schemes, including the Manapouri, gives regional councils the option to set objectives for water quality below bottom lines if that is necessary to secure the benefits of hydro electricity generation.'

The Government is seeking feedback on this proposal, Workman says.

So far three public meetings had been held in the South Island this week and the status of hydro schemes came up at a public meeting in Dunedin, he said.

Jordan said the Manapouri power scheme was unique as it took up to 95 per cent of the catchment's water and discharged it out to the ocean at Deep Cove.

'Unlike most hydro schemes, Meridian doesn't return the water to the Waiau River after generating power, but discharges it deep into Fiordland.

'The problem is because all of that water gets taken out of the catchment there's a trickle that's left at the Waiau River, particularly in the summertime and it means that it's highly sedimented.

'We don't get the cold pristine alpine lake water from Manapouri that we used to get. The water temperature also gets higher which provides the perfect temperature for algal bloom.'

Southland District Mayor Gary Tong said no further degradation of the Waiau should be allowed.

'The focus must be on re-establishing this valuable ecosystem.'

The Ministry of Environment scheduled public meetings about its draft proposal in Invercargill on Wednesday and again in Winton on Thursday.