Waitaki Group Widens Hydro Battle

Waitaki First has changed its stance from opposing Meridian Energy's Project Aqua to opposing major hydro developments anywhere in New Zealand.

Chairwoman Dr Helen Brookes said hydro power stations already provided 65 per cent of New Zealand's electricity.

The high-profile group had detected a mood of opposition to more big hydro schemes and was buoyed by the stance of the Green Party in coming out against Project Aqua, a scheme to put six low- profile stations along a canal on the south side of the Waitaki River.

Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons, who will head the select committee hearing submissions on special legislation being introduced to deal with the water- allocation plan for the Waitaki, said at the weekend that the party was not prepared to "turn our major braided river into a muddy trickle for the sake of keeping our heated towel rails going even when there are no towels on them."

Fitzsimons said Aqua was a reminder that the Government was not developing a sustainable energy programme.

Energy Minister Pete Hodgson, at a public meeting in Oamaru on Friday, conceded that Aqua was "another egg in the same basket."

Brookes said recently that with global warming hydro schemes were not the way ahead, and alternatives had to be considered. She said Waitaki First had had a series of meetings throughout the catchment with many groups and was pushing the message not just of opposing further big hydro schemes, but of the importance of submissions to the draft legislation for the Waitaki.

It was important that the board of inquiry set the water- allocation plan for the Waitaki had the right terms of reference.

The board could consider only what the legislation allowed, "so we can only emphasise the importance of submissions to the bill."

Brookes said that if groups wanted certain issues considered, they had to make submissions to the bill so that the board had a chance to assess them.

Waitaki first believed the fact that the Government had introduced draft legislation to handle the issue of Waitaki water gave it hope that Aqua might be defeated.

Brookes said the drought had provided ample evidence of the need for irrigation in Canterbury and Otago.

Environment Minister Marian Hobbs has also urged all those with an interest in Waitaki water to prepare submissions for the board of inquiry.