The Waitaha River, located between Hokitika and Franz Josef. Photo: Google Maps
A West Coast lines company says it's considering the fast-track process as part of its renewed bid to build a run-of-river hydro scheme on the Waitaha River.
A run-of-river system doesn't require a dam or flooding, and would divert some of the natural flow of the Waitaha River through a tunnel and a powerhouse before being returned to the river.
Greymouth-based electricity company Westpower first applied for concessions from the Minister of Conservation to enable the proposed hydro scheme in 2014.
The Waitaha River is located between Hokitika and Franz Josef and is home to the Morgan Gorge, famed by whitewater kayakers and considered grades five and six - the most difficult and rarest kinds of kayaking runs.
The application was declined in 2019 by then Environment Minister David Parker on the basis it posed too much of a threat to the character of the near-pristine area, and peoples' enjoyment of it.
Westpower's chief executive Peter Armstrong told Nine To Noon it applied for it the scheme to be reconsidered for a concession in 2022 and was still waiting for that decision. In the meantime, it was considering the fast-track process.
Renewed push to build a 'run-of-river' hydro scheme in the West Coast
"The reason that we are is that the fast track bill joins together concessions and consents and we think that is quite useful, but just because there is a fast-track process, our approach to the assessment of effects is not fast-track, we have been studying this project deeply for many years," Armstrong said.
He said the company cared deeply about biodiversity and its biggest threat, was climate change.
He said Minister Parker had found the effects on birds, bats, lizards, invertebrates, vegetation, native fish and other aquatic communities were less than minor and he had taken issue with the effects on the area's intrinsic values.
He said the Waitaha scheme would not only reduce those losses, but provide resilience for the West Coast, particularly in the case of a transmission failure.
He said if the Waitaha Hydro Scheme was operating during the major grid emergency in August 2021 it would have supplied power to a number of suburbs in Waikato, so there was a national benefit.
"Our main point of supply has to make a route from Otago all the way up just about to Nelson then turn back and then turn back and come down to supply us on the West Coast and so there is quite a lot of losses involved with that long trip."
Federated Mountain Clubs president Megan Dimozantos said the proposed Waitaha River Hydro scheme was an example of how the new Fast-track Approvals Bill would undermine existing environmental protections.
She said Westpower's application to build a hydro scheme on the Waitaha was declined by Environment Minister David Parker in 2019 because the adverse effects couldn't be adequately or reasonably mitigated.
"Circumventing environmental protections embedded in law, is not only undemocratic but it is going to lead to long-term irreversible damage to the environment for what would really only make a dent in the requirements for future power needs."
She said the area was largely unmodified by humans and valued for its natural wilderness, unique biodiversity and the varied recreation activities it presented.