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Residents protest planned hydro dam

Apr 18, 2005 7:41 AM

Plans by a private electricity company to dam the headwaters of a Taranaki river have brought an angry reaction from long-time river users.
 
King Country Energy wants to dam and flood almost five kilometres of the Mokau River near Aria to build  a hydro-electric station.

The white water rapids of the river will be lost if a new power station is built, because the dam's hydro lake will flood the area.

Duncan Catanach of NZ Recreational Canoeing Association says the area is a key piece of white water that's nationally recognised, and is very important for its wild and scenic values.

Canoeists have been travelling the Mokau since 1949.  Nick Collins from the New Plymouth Kayak Club says to them it's invaluable.

"It's the best piece of white water in the Taranaki region," says Collins.

King Country Energy's old hydro station on the river has no large storage lake so has minimal effect on the river flow.

It has now planned to start a new lake where the Mokau River emerges from the bottom of the old hydro station, and have it flood the valley for 4.5 kilometres to the new hydro dam.

Kit Wilson of King Country Energy says that although there is a minimal loss of some of the white water kayaking there is a lot of community benefit.

The company claims the dam will power a town the size of Te Kuiti.
 
But Grant Taylor of the Mokau River Cruise Company fears a large dam could mean the end of its century-old river boating business.

"We've had to live with them having the first dam up there. Now they want to build a second dam and what they're saying is we want the whole lot. We want it all," says Taylor.

But King Country Energy disagrees.

"We would think there would be minimal impact if any on his business," says Wilson.

The river users claim there are better alternatives.

"It's not a scheme of national importance. It'll generate about nine megawatts of electricity which is the equivalent of three windmills," says Collins.

Public submissions on the hydro scheme close with Environment Waikato on Monday.