Conservation

Current Issues

Mokihinui Dam

Meridian Energy has lodged resource consent applications to construct a $250 million 65-85MW dam on the wild and scenic Mokihinui River. Submissions on the resource consent are due 23 April. Robin Rutter-Baumann compiled the NZRCA's submission opposing a dam on the Mokihinui River.

Regional Plans

The NZRCA is submitted on various regional plans: Submission (August 2007) on Horizons' One Plan.

Energy Strategy

Duncan Catanach compiled the NZRCA's submission on the Draft New Zealand Energy Strategy to 2050 (March 2007)

Central Plains Water

The Canterbury Central Plains Water plans to extract up to 40cu from both the Waimakariri and Rakaia Rivers in order to irrigate 60,000ha of farmland. A 12km² storage lake will be created. The consents are for 35 years. The Assessment of Environmental Effects (Kowai intake) (PDF, 4.1Mb) makes little mention of kayaking, saying only Reducing the mainstream riffle depth is possibly of greater concern to activities that require longer lengths of river, such as the jet boaters and canoeists/kayakers, who require a minimum water depth of 0.2 and 0.1 metres respectively. The effect of the reduced downstream quantity of water is assessed as having a low potential to affect both instream and land-based recreation. (6.4.7, p6-9). BTW, 0.1m = 10cm!

Significantly, the scheme has changed from 'harvest at high flows' to 'run of the river'. The scheme would mean the Waimak would run at minimum flow for much of the year. Refer http://www.stopthedam.org.nz/, especially Is Central Plains Water trustworthy? for additional information. Submissions due August 18 with hearings planned for later this year.

Refer to the Save the Waimak campaign for more details.

Mokau dam

King Country Energy has applied for a resource consent to dam the Mokau River in Taranaki. The proposal involves a 44m earth dam 4.3km below Wairere Falls that would inundate the existing rapids (including Little Huka and Corkscrew Rapid) and destroy the existing recreational amenity. Submissions closed 18 April. Duncan Catanach compiled the NZRCA's submission opposing the dam. TVNZ interviewed Duncan Catanach and Nick Collins for the news on 18 April.

Kaituna dam

Bay of Plenty Electricity to proposes to build a 7m, 15-20MW dam that would destroy the Awesome Gorge and Gnarly Gorge sections of the Kaituna river near Rotorua. Overview of Kaituna Dam project, December 2005. See also www.kaituna.com. 15 Dec 2006: DOC has granted a concession to BOPE in principle. The NZRCA has submitted opposing the concession (Mar 2007).

Wairau canal

TrustPower is about to launch a $240m hydro power scheme in the Wairau valley, that would divert 50% of the Wairau river through six powerstations on a 46km canal beside the river. The section affected is a braided, low-gradient reach from the Branch river to Renwick.

Waitaki

The NZRCA's concerns arising from the Draft Waitaki Catchment Water Allocation Regional Plan have been compiled by Duncan Catanach to form the NZRCA's Submission re Waitaki Allocation Plan (April 2005).

Pukaki and Tekapo resource consents

Duncan Catanach has compiled submissions opposing the Aoraki Water Trust and Opihi River Development Company Ltd. resource consent applications affecting the Tekapo River and the Pukaki Farming Company Ltd. resource consent application affecting the Pukaki.

Gowan Scheme

The Majac trust aims to put a hydro scheme on the Gowan River, a tributary of the Buller. A Special Tribunal has been established to hear the application to modify the Buller Water Conservation Order.

Orari Dam

Proposals to dam Orari river, and Orari River Protection Group paddling survey.

Waikato

The NZRCA is seeking mitigation for the adverse effects of Mighty River Power's dams on the Upper Waikato.

Kawarau jetboat

The NZRCA has opposed an application to extend a tourist jetboat service through Smith's Falls citing conservation and safety concerns; also read the press release (PDF, 75k).

Kawarau river works

The Queenstown District Council wants to remove a buttress above Smith's Falls rapid on the Dogleg section of the Kawarau River, in order to reduce the level of Lake Wakatipu during extreme flood events. The NZRCA has made a submission opposing the consent application

Tongariro Power Development Scheme

The NZRCA has appealed against the resource consents granted to Genesis for the TPD, and is seeking better mitigation of the impacts of this significant series of dams (28 September 2001).

Read Wade Bishop's backgrounder to the Tongariro Power Development Scheme and the NZRCA's submission on the Tongariro Power Development scheme, which affects the Whangaehu, Moawhango, Upper Tongariro, Lower Tongariro, Whakapapa and Whanganui rivers.

Rangitata Water Conservation Order

In December 1999, the New Zealand Fish and Game Council and the Central South Island Fish and Game Council lodged an application for a Water Conservation Order (PDF, 33k) in respect to the Rangitata River. The Minister for the Environment, Marion Hobbs, appointed a three-person tribunal to report on the Water Conservation Order. The tribunal members include senior lecturer in resource management issues (and chair) Dr Jonet Ward, Rural Futures Trust manager Claire Mulcock and Dr Murray Parsons, consultant. The tribunal is calling for public submissions, on the prescribed form (PDF, 9k), due by 28 February 2001. The NZRCA has made a submission regarding the Rangitata WCO.

In November 2001, the NZRCA presented evidence to the Tribunal: Highlights, Doug Rankin evidence and Jonathan Hunt evidence.

The Tribunal returned a report recommending a Water Conservation Order (WCO) in October 2002. The Environment Court heard further evidence in 2003 and 2004 and released its final decision recommending the WCO on 22 September 2005. The Environment Minister signed-off the Water Conservation Order on 23 June 2006.

Rangitata dam proposals

At least three irrigation schemes are planning to extra water from the Rangitata river. Ruapuna Irrigation Limited have applied for resource consents to extract water from the Rangitata river near the current irrigation intake. Another scheme suggested by the Mid Canterbury Irrigation Enhancement Society proposes spending $278 million on a "huge" dam at the top of the Rangitata gorge. Read the NZRCA's submission against the Ruapuna Irrigation Limited scheme and Rangitata South Irrigation scheme. The NZRCA has recently made a submission regarding the Rangitata Diversion Race resource consent application to take up to 30.7 cumecs from the Rangitata.

Also, the Whitewater Canoe Club has made submissions against the Ruapuna Irrigation Ltd. scheme and the Rangitata South Irrigation Ltd. scheme.

Arnold

A resource consent application by Trustpower has been publicly notified by the West Coast Regional Council and Greymouth District Council. Details of the scheme are at http://www.arnoldpower.co.nz/. In summary, the scheme would divert up to 100 cumecs (2/3 average flow) from the Arnold mainstem near the existing dam, through a canal, returning the water approx. 12km downstream. This would dewater the usual run leaving a minimum residual flow of 12 cumecs.

"[Given] the disparity between the proposed residual flow regime and the number of occasions that minimum flows meet the kayakers' requirements, it is likely that their activities will be affected as the flows will typically be too shallow to allow for current usage." "As a consequence there will be a significant adverse effect requiring mitigation." (p21-22, Appendix N (PDF, 3Mb)). Trustpower have proposed a 'world-class kayak course' as part of the plan, "but it's not confirmed at this stage" (Press, 22 November 2006). Submissions close 19 January 2007.

Glenn Murdoch is coordinating kayaker's responses in Hydro scheme on the Arnold River (2000). Andy England explains why the Arnold River is a popular resource.

Previous issues

Clarence quarry

Another conservation issue is Tranz Rail's plan to quarry 1.9 million cubic metres of fill from the bed of the Lower Clarence river. The NZRCA has written submissions to the Canterbury Regional Council outlining our concerns regarding the proposal and undertaken successful negotiations with Tranz Rail to mitigate the effects.
Clarence consent update (Maree Baker)
Example Resource Consent submission regarding the Clarence River (Jonathan Hunt)
From source to sea - Rafting the Clarence (Kate Batten)
Quarrying the Clarence (Paul Macey)
A Clarence River trip (Jim Hutton)

Resources

Hugh Canard explains the reasons for the NZRCA joining the Living Rivers Coalition (December 2004).

The case for keeping a logbook of one's kayaking experiences, Jonathan Hunt, January 2004.
A warning of increasing competition for water, Hugh Canard, November 2002.
The President's word on Whio, Robin Rutter-Baumann and Let's all help the fabulous Blue Duck (whio), Ian Gill (DoC), January 2002.
Buller Water Conservation Order, 2001, August 2001, Doug Rankin.
NZRCA submission on "Making Every Drop Count: The National Agenda for Sustainable Water Management - Action Plan", 24 February 2000, Maree Baker and Sarah McRae.
Submission on Resource Management Amendment Act 1999, 28 September 1999, Maree Baker.
How to make a submission, 1998 & 1997, Maree Baker
Amenity Values, 1998, Andy Hollings.
Water Conservation Orders, 1998, Geoff Price.