Prime Minister Christopher Luxon wants to remove “red tape” preventing large-scale water storage projects from being built in Hawke’s Bay, and nationally.
Speaking to Hawke’s Bay Today, Luxon said dams were “absolutely critical” to ensuring land was productive and his coalition Government was united on their importance.
“We have an abundance of water that is desperately needed in different place.
“And when you think about how it can help transform regions or make land use more productive, that’s all good for us because it means we’re enlarging our economy.
“And when we enlarge our economy, we get higher wages and salaries for regular Kiwis and that’s what it’s got to be all about.
“So we’re very pro water storage.”
Luxon said dams were “key pieces of infrastructure” and the need for them was part of the reason the Government had repealed the Resource Management Act before Christmas.
“We think it gives local resilience, enables more productivity, all of that stuff.
“We want to consent and make those things much easier to achieve and to do.”
NZ Herald
That’s nice Chris. But the last dam project was illegal and the ratbag socialists who proposed it have risen from the dead to start pushing for it all over again.
Hawke’s Bay’s last bid for large-scale water storage, a project known as the Ruataniwha Dam, was stopped in the Supreme Court.
The court ruled the then-minister of conservation acted illegally by trying to make 22 hectares of Department of Conservation land in the Ruahine Forest Park available for exchange to Hawke’s Bay Regional Investment Company Ltd (HBRIC) for the $330-million dam project.
Even before the ruling, the dam, and the question of who would benefit from it, caused deep divisions in the region.
The Makaroro Storage Scheme has since been revived from the ghost of the Ruataniwha Dam.
It is the brainchild of Water Holdings Hawke’s Bay, a private group that purchased the Ruataniwha Dam consents from Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.
The group says its dam would store 105 million cubic metres of water and ensure a minimum environmental flow runs through the river to preserve its ecosystem even during the dry season.
The consents expire in 2025 and the group is pursuing the support of an MP for a local member’s bill that can help it work around the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd expressed support for water storage in her first speech to Parliament, noting it was one of her priorities for the term.
NZ Herald
Brainchild? More like an undead zombie socialist.
So, Catherine Wedd, when she isn’t bullying constituents or annoying local councils, now wants to change the law to allow an illegal dam…interesting approach to her job. I guess she can be said to be leading with her ‘Chin’.
Christopher Luxon may want to build dams across the country but what he must not do is ride rough-shod over our laws and regulations to do it.
The big problem these socialist bludgers have is that none of the local councils have any money to pour into this folly so they’ll have to go cap in hand to Shane Jones, as he is the minister who has the money and I doubt if he will entertain funding such a dog of a project that can’t even wash its face.
Cam Slater is a New Zealand-based blogger, best known for his role in Dirty Politics and publishing the Whale Oil Beef Hooked blog, which operated from 2005 until it closed in 2019. Cam blogs regularly on the BFD - where this article was sourced.
8 comments:
The swapping of conservation land for more land of equivalence, lets get that process enshrined.
The value of a dam is hard to define but what we do know is that NZ has two growing seasons, spring and autumn, with irrigation we can add a third, summer when the sun is at a maximum and temperatures are highest.
The benefits for the community that accrue when we have a more predictable production profile are massive going all the way into the entire country.
We currently harvest something like 1% of incident precipitation California harvests 70%. California needs to drop to 40% or less and we should consider 10% a very sane usage.
Lets get some aspiration going again.
Cam , That was a touch growly for Monday. Water storage is an excellent way to manage water when gathered in high flow from going straight to the ocean . I note you didnt explore two sides of the story of which surely there were non reported benefits as well as the non reported negatives you obviously prefer.
Water users have to get positive and real now Three Waters has been beheaded .
You obviously don’t live in the Provinces where the accommodation of Climate Change is forcing Councils to build these reservoirs that will enable communities like HB on the East Coast to survive the more frequent and intense droughts and storms we are currently experiencing.
If we do not follow this path then the taxpayers will be left footing the bill for the damage caused by each one.
The estimate of recovery cost for Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle in 2023 alone runs into billions.
So much for your snide comments about socialist’s ideas. The fact is that socialists are the reason why the Ruataniwha Dam failed.
I can assure you that these “ must have” plans for the nation’s future are just common sense solutions from mainly conservative groups who understand the need for greatly improved infrastructure and reticulation of fresh water reserves.
You should talk to them some time. You might learn a thing our two about what needs to be done in support of the Nation’s economy .
The Prime Minister is so right to regard this issue as a priority for his Government and l’m sure most of Provincial New Zealand will be pleased that finally someone with the ability to make it happen is listening.
And as for Shane Jones not funding such a dog of a project are you talking about the same Shane Jones who poured billions of dollars from the Provincial Growth Fund between 2017 and 2020 in more dogs of projects than one could count.
There is no way DOC land will be swapped out for such usage. Of course once it's handed back to the local Iwi it can be sold to anyone they want.
Infrastructure NZ, run by two of the biggest Chinese banks, can't wait. They will be wining and dining the leaders. Free trips to Beijing and new holiday homes for those with the power to sign off.
If there were a proper sense of integrity and big picture for NZ maybe all of above could be sensibly accommodated. However that seems as likely as flying pigs and safe COVID vaccines.
Cam - the reason the Ruataniwha dam project "failed" was due to the actions of a "select group who reside in Waipukurau", with no 'known' interaction with the Farming community, but opposed the ideas, concept and potential result of such a storage system.
There was "nothing illegal" about the development of the concept, it was all above board and in the open.
At this point I agree with Clive Bibby and his statement - (quote) "So much for your snide comments about socialist’s ideas. The fact is that socialists are the reason why the Ruataniwha Dam failed"(unquote).
The concept when originally presented was to create a water storage facility, that those who farmed land for crop production and area from North of Norsewood North into Tikokino and down toward the towns of Waipawa & Waipukurau, could have access to to the water for irrigation purposes.
Other farming entities - sheep/beef would also have a water access for livestock and any other business that required water for the purposes of conducting their business..
Neither the Rivers that pass thru the towns mentioned, above, carry enough water during summer months to be of any benefit, but during winter - the emphactic flow of water from the Ruahine's to the sea is lost as there is NO current system to capture & retain that water for later use - and I am sure you will find that the local Regional (and possibly District) Councils - will have mandated that no person - can take water from either river with our prior consent - strange that.
If it comes to fruition, there will be lengthy arguments both in and out of court as to who owns the water.
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