The Hawke's Bay Regional Council has ordered an independent review of the controversial $900 million Ruataniwha water storage project.
The proposed Ruataniwha Dam would be built on this site in Hawke's Bay. Photo: RNZ / Peter Fowler
At a meeting this afternoon, councillors voted to commission a review of key contractual, economic and environmental elements of the Ruataniwha Dam.
The review will include the implications of the council pulling out of the project, with a majority now questioning if it should go ahead.
The council's investment company, HBRIC, which is developing the dam, told the meeting it would welcome such a review.
HBRIC said court action over the proposed dam site was likely to take some months and there was enough time to conduct a review.