The Green Room
Let's fully support F&B's suggestion of an Environment Court appeal to the Mokihinui decision - consents have been given to Meridian to build the 85 metre high dam across the Mokihinui River, drowning hundreds of hectares of pristine West Coast flora and fauna, including our endangered Blue Ducks' habitat.
I propose we start an EC appeal fund now to back F&B opposition in the court.
This precious wild river is the first of many rivers that will be under threat.
An appeal is on this F&B website is for the Mokihinui Campaign https://secure.forestandbird.org.nz/shop/donations.asp
Message from Debs Martin, Forest & Bird's Top of the South field officer:
Mokihinui Update
Greetings all,
By now you’ve probably heard the disappointing news that the Commissioners agreed in a split decision (2 – 1) to grant resource consents for the Mokihinui. The decision was obviously complex, and very closely determined. If you can manage the 300+ pages it is worth reading on:
http://www.wcrc.govt.nz/mokihinui/decision/Decision%20-%20Part%201.pdf
But this is only stage one of our combined efforts to save the Mokihinui. Forest & Bird and other parties to the resource consent hearing are considering lodging an appeal to the Environment Court. We need the strength of the Department of Conservation to also appeal the decision, and therefore urge you to write to the Minister and the Department at:
Minister of Conservation, Kate Wilkinson, kate.wilkinson@parliament.govt.nz and kate.wilkinson@ministers.govt.nz (send to both)
Director-General of Conservation, Al Morrison, amorrison@doc.govt.nz
West Coast Conservator, Mike Slater, mslater@doc.govt.nz;
Ask them to:
1. Support the strong case they made at the resource consent hearing by appealing the decision
2. Point out that the dissenting commissioner agreed that the ecological effects (despite mitigation) outweighed any economic benefit
3. State your own appreciation of the Mokihinui river and public conservation land area and urge the Department to do all within its power to protect the Mokihinui from being dammed.
This is very important as the Department has extensive resources that community organisations do not always have access to. For 5 minutes of your time, you could help save this river.
More will come on the Mokihinui in the next while. Please show your continued support for this campaign. Although we may have lost this initial battle, when you read the decision, you will see that we actually put our case very well. The campaign to save the Mokihinui is not over until the valley is flooded.
Kind regards,
Debs Martin
Wild Rivers Coordinator
Forest & Bird
I/we will do, and have also made a donation - this is such a cr*p decision. I can't believe it. what's going on with our government these days!
I've been writing letters for two days. I struggle to express how disgusted I am with this vandalism, and how contemptuous I am of Ngati Waewae, who have now NO claim to guardianship of the river. I urge F&B to appeal this decision, and will contribute towards it. Please, let's not stop fighting. If we lose this one, it's going to make it easier for the next project, be it on the Waitaha, the Hurunui, or the Waiohine.
Yes the local iwi sold out to Meridian 8-(
...so much for kaitiakitanga ??
they sold this river down the river !
it is NOT just there river..........this river like all NZ belongs to ALL NZers !
please write, email, phone DOC and entreat them to appeal this decision for all NZers
starting with the minister of conservation Kate Wilkinson, the director general of DOC Al Morrison and the West Coast Conservator Mike Slater
do it now if you can .... right now 8-)
It's already started making it easier with other rivers I'm afraid it looks like. Here's a quote from a recent F&B media release about the govt disbanding Ecan council and changing the playing field re Warter Conservation Orders...
"...the Government’s legislation to replace Environment Canterbury includes provisions that reduce the statutory protection of iconic rivers, opening them up for dams and irrigation use.
The water bodies immediately affected are the Rakaia, Rangitata and Ahuriri Rivers and Lakes Coleridge and Ellesmere, along with the application for protection of the Hurunui River, which was awaiting a hearing in the Environment Court"
For the full media release, here's the link..
http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/publications/media-releases/government-torpedoes-own-flagship-water-reform-group
But that's all the more reason for us all to keep fighting for them...
First Priority !!!! Help persuade DOC to appeal the Mokihinui decision !!! Once DOC are on board, F&B will appeal too.
Please write, email, phone DOC and entreat them to appeal this decision for all NZers !!!
Starting with the MinCon Kate Wilkinson, the director general of DOC Al Morrison and the West Coast Conservator Mike Slater. For their email addresses see posts above.
If you care about this wild river and all NZ wild rivers - please do it now if you can ....!
This is the first river we need to defend, right here, right now.
This is from the most recent F&B e-News about Mokihinui:
Earlier this week, Meridian Energy was given resource consent to flood 330 hectares of ancient West coast forest in order to construct a hydro-dam. Flanked by beech forests, ancient podocarps, riotous displays of rata, and rimu festooned with kiekie, the Mokihinui river holds rich array of native species such as our endangered blue duck (whio), longfin eel and giant land snail. All of these species will be left homeless if this dam goes ahead. Forest & Bird and other parties are considering lodging an appeal to the Environment Court. We need the strength of the Department of Conservation to also appeal the decision, and therefore urge you to write to the Minister and the Department . Despite this early setback, the campaign to save the Mokihinui is not over by a long shot!
ECO-ACTION: Find out more information on the Mokihinui or donate to our campaign.
Media Releases: * Forest & Bird says Ecan move a fast-track for dams; * Forest & Bird damns Mokihinui decision
The resource consent conditions has stipulated that Meridian Energy must move our powelliphanta snails - but we know how terribly that worked out last time.
I can't believe those snails are still being kept in fridges!
And what about the fate of the Whio/Blue Ducks, the Great Spotted Kiwi, other vertebrate and invertebrate bio-diversilty and all the special rainforest and river vegetation and habitats of the Mokihinui gorge and vallies. Will they be "moved" too ??
Here's the decisions and conditions which, like Debs says "If you can get through the 300odd pages" gives the info -
http://www.wcrc.govt.nz/mokihinui/decision/Decision%20-%20Part%201.pdf
anyone know when doc is going to decide whether or not to appeal this decision ???
will the govt let them !!??
The appeal is due by 26th April, so we should all know by then.
had a look at the Mokihinui decision in detail
so the dam is to supply a few west coasters with cheaper more reliable power
does that include west coast companies like Solid Energy ? The commissioners were easily swayed by arguments for cheap "renewable" power
Next time you decry other govts for allowing eg felling of Amazonia rainforests in Brazil or exploitation and felling of forests in Indonesia and other parts of Asia... take a look closer to home
here we just drown precious rainforests and associated ecosystems to provide cheap hydro power for a small community and it's coal mining company
so NZ is no better and the govt of the day - every one of them are culpable
Speaking of Brazilian environmental exploitation, here's another small hydro dam that is under protest.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/3586370/Avatar-dam-project-delayed
It's a global battle for our rainforests.
Support the F&B campaign to Save the Mokihinui !
Yep, first priority for us is saving the Mokihinui.
This is a very important issue for Forest and Bird and we must do everything possible to stop this dam.
The 85 metre Mokihinui Dam proposed to completely block the mighty Mokihinui River would be an environmental tragedy unprecedented in recent years in New Zealand.
The damming of a vast pristine river system in a wlderness is something that today only really happens in third world wilderness areas where it is forced on those communities such as in the Amazon, Congo or Indonesia.
Construction of such a dam in a pristine river system would today be unprecedented in first world countries where there isn't much wilderness left and people are more enlightened about the impact on river ecology. In parts of the western USA they are actually now removing hydro dams to try to reverse the terrible destruction of river ecology caused by these dams.
The vast catchment of the Mokihinui river system above the proposed dam site is one of the most pristine wild and beautiful parts of our country. The whole hydrology of this largely natural river system will be destroyed by a concrete dam that blocks the river.
Native eel species, lampreys, galaxiids (whitebait) torrent fish and many other species all require passage to and from the ocean to complete their life cycles. Fish passes are often quoted as the solution but on high dams the evidence is that they generally don't work.
It is worth reflecting that once the first dams went in on the Clutha, the Waitaki and the Waikato rivers many decades ago, they blocked the passage by fish up and down those rivers. Susequent dams, although controversial (eg Clyde Dam on the Clutha, )couldn't make fish passage to the ocean worse because this had already been blocked by the Roxborough Dam. The same with Aviemore/Benmore Dams where the old Waitaki Dam had already blocked fish passage in the Waitaki River system downstream of Aviemore and Benmore.
From a river hydrology/fish ecology viewpoint is what is so terrible and final about a dam on the Mokihinui. It destroys the whole nature character of the entire Mokihinui River system, one of New Zealand's great wild rivers.
To me, this is actually by far the most significant and irreversible impact of the dam rather than the hectares of native forest that the dam lake will destroy.
It is ironic that a private hydro generator has received planning consent for their proposed scheme on the nearby Stockton Plateau. Trustpower have approval to proceed with their Arnold River Scheme and they are re-activating their Amethyst scheme at Hari Hari. So at the very time that the claim is made that the West Coast needs more electricity from a Mokihinui Dam to meet its power needs, there are at least 3 other new West Coast hydro schemes already approved or underway.
Declaration of Interest: I own and operate a small 25 KW run of the river hydro scheme on the Moeraki River, South Westland. This is 35 years old. Consented by the West Coast Regional Council, this takes about 25% of the normal Moeraki River flow and puts it back into the river 500 metres downstream of the hydro turbine through a tail race. We note the eels, the whitebait and the lampreys that swim around the power station and keep to the main channel of the river. We also operate a fish trap to lift any other fish that do come up the tail race to place them back into the river above the hydro.
So it is possible to extract hydro electric power from a river without completely damming that river and wrecking its ecology. The little town of Haast also has a "run of the river" hydro scheme on the Turnbull River.
The Forest & Bird executive has made a decision that we will go to appeal over the Mokihinui decision. Can't say whether DoC is or not yet. Haven't heard. It won't be an easy or cheap fight - keep supporting F&B, we appreciate it.
Forest and Bird is not on its own opposing Meridian energy's plans to destroy this great river.
Today DOC Lodged an appeal to the planning consent given for the dam and conveyed the news to other objectors to the dam in the following email:
"I can confirm that the Director General of Conservation lodged an appeal on the Mokihinui decision today (29 April). As a submitter you will be served with a hard copy of the Notice of Appeal shortly."
Great news that both F&B and DOC are going to oppose the Mokihinui decision.
Hopefully common sense will prevail !
More detail at;
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/3641188/DOC-wants-300m-dam-project-stopped
I congratulate Forest and Bird for appealing this criminal decision, and I shall donate to the appeal within the next week.
You can support forest and birds campaign to oppose the Mokihinui dam proposal by making a donation via their website .... start the process by going to ... home ... above and follow the links to make a donation
this type of opposition via the Environment Court is expensive requiring lots of scientific experts and witnesses so please donate asap
Now that DoC's in an appeal too, there might be some areas resources can be 'shared' if some places F&B and DoC are both looking at the same issue?
There is some doubt emerging on the West Coast over whether DOC will go ahead with its appeal of the Mokihinui decision !!!!
Friends down there have heard a rumour that DOC is in negotiations with Meridian over land swaps and that the search is on for more suitable land to offer DOC in exchange for the Mokihinui Valley !!
Let's hope they are wrong and that DOC will go ahead and progress its appeal, but nothing is certain under this govt !!
NOW would be a good time to email your local MPs - all of them - and remind them HOW important it is to New Zealanders like YOU to save the Mokihinui River and forests from becoming a lake !! The MPs are waiting to hear from YOU and hopefully a concerted email and letter campaign will convince them !
I received an invitation today to send this email to my local MP with the message below.
It would be a tragedy if DOC is engaging in such horse trading.
A month ago I commented that
"The river hydrology/fish ecology viewpoint is what is so terrible and final about a dam on the Mokihinui. It destroys the whole nature character of the entire Mokihinui River system, one of New Zealand's great wild rivers.
To me, this is actually by far the most significant and irreversible impact of the dam rather than the hectares of native forest that the dam lake will destroy."
DOC is stupid if it thinks that getting a few more hectares of forest will compensate for the desrtuction of a whole river system.
Subject: Mokihinui Land Grab - forward to your local MP!
We oppose any attempt by the Department of Conservation to negotiate a land swap for the hundreds of hectares of native rainforest that will be drowned if a dam across the Mokihinui River is allowed to proceed.
Apparently the Department of Conservation is in negotiation with Meridian Energy to investigate further land swap options on the West Coast. The intention may be to swap new areas of rainforest on the West Coast for areas that will be destroyed if a Mokihinui Dam goes ahead.
Not only will one of NZ's pristine wild rivers be lost if that happens, but so will all the bio-diversity in the Mokihinui Valley that will be drowned when a lake fills the valley. This includes prime Blue Duck and Great Spotted Kiwi habitat.
New Zealanders will not tolerate double dealing over the news that despite announcing its intention to appeal the Mokihinui decision by the Westland Regional Council, the Department of Conservation is investigating other options that will result in the loss of this wild and scenic river and valley.
Consumer Power
Thanks to "The Listener" columnist Joanne Black (June5-11 Pg 94) for pointing out the irony of Meridian vs DOC in the appeal against the proposal of Meridian to dam the beautiful Mohihinui River and replace it with a 340ha lake.
The irony is of course that both are state-owned and so the taxpayer is ultimately the one paying for lawyers on both sides of the argument. Shades of Solid Energy vs DOC all over again !
Perhaps the land swap negotiations underway at present (see above) will forestall the court case, but in any case ...
If you feel powerless (excuse the pun!) against the machinations of the SOE generator Meridian taking the meaning of "renewable" energy and "sustainability" to a new low, remember there is still one power that you do have.....
If you are a customer of Meridian, you have your consumer power, to opt out of that relationship by boycotting the power company and switching to an alternative. Be careful where you take your consumer power though, as neither Contact (overseas owned) nor Genesis (another SOE) are great alternatives. Consumer Powerswitch will help - just go to www.consumer.org.nz/powerswitch
The Mokihinui River film by Craig Potton screened last night 19 September on Prime was absolutely stunning.
It showed just what a magnificent river this is from its headwaters on the "Thousand Acre Plateau" right down past the Mokihinui Forks through the grandeur of the Mokihinui Gorge right out to the Tasman Sea.
This river is a wild and natural treasure and Meridian must never be allowed to dam and destroy it.
Forest and Bird has appealed against the resource consent granted to Meridian to dam this river with an 85 metre dam and impound it to form a lake. This will flood the entire gorge all the way up to the Mokihinui Forks.
The Craig Potton Mokihinui River film should be put on DVD and screened to every politician and decision maker to show them what a wonderful ecosystem will be destroyed if the dam is allowed to proceed.
It will not only destroy 300+ hectares of native forest and riparian vegetation. As the scientists interviewed on the film described, it will also destroy a key habitat for giant landsnails, an uninterrupted stretch of habitat for the long finned eel, wreck whitebait habitat annd destroy one of the finest rafting and canoeing rivers in NZ. It will also wreck much of the historic miners pack track that traverses the length of the Mokihinui Gorge.
Forest and Bird needs everyones help to proceed with the Appeal against the might of Meridian, the wholly government owned SOE.
We have today posted a cheque for $500 to Forest and Bird Mokihinui River Fighting Fund PO Box 631 Wellington 6140.
We would like to urge anyone who wants to take this practical step and urgently send funds----large or small just what you think you can spare because it is all important-- to Forest and Bird.
The money is needed because it is going to cost Forest and Bird at least $100,000 to mount the legal challenge through the Environment Court Appeal to stop the dam. We may then have to proceed to the High Court.
In our lifetimes none of us can allow this superb wild river to be destroyed.
Please send any donations to:
"Save the Mokihinui River" Appeal Fighting Fund
Forest and Bird
PO Box 631
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
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