A new power scheme would "be the best thing that can happen" to river protection and vegetation clearance on the Waitaki River, Environment Canterbury (Ecan) regional engineer Ross Vesey told the Environment Court yesterday.
Meridian Energy would significantly increase the contribution it made to vegetation clearance and river protection work on the river as far as the coast if it built the north bank tunnel scheme.
Meridian already contributed about 40% of the $360,000 annual budget, 20% coming from river ratepayers and the rest from other rates.
Mr Vesey said funding, by a "narrow band of people", was a key issue limiting the amount of work, mainly willow clearance with a small amount of broom and gorse clearance.
Regardless of individuals' views on the scheme, Mr Vesey said it would be "the best thing that can happen in the short term" for river protection.
Without that, the river would continue to be managed as at present.aIf the scheme was not built, the next opportunity to do something would be when Meridian's Waitaki dam consents came up for renewal in 2025.
One of the existing problems was the encroachment of farming on the river and people clearing river-protection planting.
They were "new people" who had "no appreciation of the culture or river protection works".
New owners removed "what they saw as rubbish", but was actually river protection.
Ecan was preparing a buffer zone of about 150m, which could be fenced, along each side of the river.
This was supported by landowners who understood the need for it, but not so much by new landowners.
Mr Vesey did not believe the lower flow in the river between the dam and Stonewall needed by the scheme would lead to greater encroachment.
