A trust fighting to protect the lower Waitaki River from a new hydro-electricity scheme has launched a campaign to raise funds for its appeal to the Environment Court.
Yesterday, the Waitaki Protection Trust, one of five appellants to the Environment Court opposing the Meridian Energy Ltd $900 million north bank tunnel concept (NBTC) scheme, lodged newspaper advertisements, including in Wellington, asking for donations to help fund its appeal.
The charitable trust was established in September 2007 by Wanaka businessman and property developer Bob Robertson, the Infinity Group managing director, who also owns property in the Hakataramea Valley, to protect and preserve the environmental values of the Waitaki River and catchment.
The trust was concerned at the increased demand for hydro-electric generation on the river.
It has lodged an Environment Court appeal over the granting of four water-only resource consents by Environment Canterbury for the NBTC scheme to take up to 260 cumecs of water from Lake Waitaki into a 34km-long tunnel between the Waitaki dam and Stonewall, with one powerhouse generating between 1100GWh and 1400GWh a year.
In an advertisement in the Otago Daily Times headed "Save the Waitaki River", the trust yesterday appealed for donations to help with the appeal.
"If you care about the environment, please help us save the Waitaki River," it said.
The river was an outstanding natural feature of the Waitaki Valley, one of New Zealand's largest braided rivers with a nationally significant trout and salmon fishery.
"The . . . trust believes enough is enough and has lodged an appeal . . . but needs your help with the fight," it said in its advertisement.
The trust said the resource consents gave Meridian the ability to lower the flow of the river from about 370 cumecs to 140 cumecs and down to 110 cumecs for three months of the year.
That would have significant adverse effects.
According to the trust's deed, its objects and purposes are "to protect and preserve the environmental values of the Waitaki River and catchment and to raise awareness in respect of those environmental values".
Other trustees listed on the deed are Infinity executive director John Beattie (Wanaka), businessman Peter Marshall (Wanaka) and the Very Rev David Rice (Dunedin).
The Environment Court has set hearings from June 22 to July 3 in Oamaru and July 6 to 17 in Christchurch, with a fifth week from July 20 if needed.
Up to 70 witnesses were listed to appear for Meridian and appellants.
