Where's the integrity?

“An insult to the integrity of the Waitaki Allocation Plan”, is how Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive of Fish & Game New Zealand describes Meridian Energy’s latest proposals for the Waitaki River.

“Meridian’s proposals for the North Bank Tunnel and Hunter Downs Irrigation Scheme show brash contempt for both the value of the Waitaki River and the work completed only last year by the Waitaki Water Allocation Board. The allocation plan was developed independently, with a high level of regional input, and involved a huge quantity of high quality information. It allocates water for various uses including irrigation and hydro generation and well as sets environmental flows.

“The consequences to the river of these latest proposals are comparable to those of Project Aqua and even more so with an additional 40-45 irrigation applications waiting in the wings to be consider over the next few months. In addition to Meridian’s dismissive approach toward the allocation plan, their spokesperson would not deny encouraging other irrigation applicants to apply for water takes that would reduce the river’s minimum flow to 100 cumecs. This is two thirds of the minimum flow agreed in the allocation plan!

“A more accurate representation of these latest proposals would see Meridian’s disingenuous rata flower shredded during its journey through the North Bank Tunnel, left stranded in a dry side braid of the Waitaki or, pumped through a centre-pivot irrigator to end as dairy effluent.

“It should not be left to not-for-profit NGOs such as Fish & Game to defend the integrity of the Plan and its minimum flows set during a thorough process established in good faith by Government special legislation.

“To maintain integrity and public confidence, the Government must make it unambiguously clear that Environment Canterbury “owns” the Waitaki Catchment Water Allocation Plan, and that Environment Canterbury has the responsibility to defend the Plan’s minimum flow provisions and other habitat and amenity value protection components in the Plan. Any other course of action would be clear breach of integrity and trust.