(Also see email below: Dam Support Rally - this Friday in Waipukurau)

Media Release – Wed June 18, 2014

A pro dam rally ‘for the people by the people’ planned for this Friday in Waipukurau is being promoted by the PR firm behindOHL Hawkins - the organisation responsible for building the dam.

Transparent Hawke’s Bay chairperson Pauline Elliott says the ratepayer group was surprised to receive an email from Attn Marketing PR’s Damon Harvey asking for community support for the event.

Mr Harvey’s email says the rally has been timed to demonstrate support for the controversial project before next Wednesday’s vote by Hawke’s Bay Regional councillors to invest up to $80 million of ratepayer funds in the project.

“The rally has been promoted in local media as a community-led initiative. That’s quite a different proposition to the company building the dam trying to drum up support. So which is it?”

HB Today reports TVNZ, TV3 and Prime news stations have been booked to cover the event and local MPs and speakers are booked to attend.

“All we can hope is that the speakers, media and MPs have been made aware of the role of OHL Hawkins’ PR company in this so-called ‘grassroots’ support rally” said Ms Elliott.

“This comes at a time when some Councillors are being asked to ignore their fiduciary duty as 'Directors of the Board' and to rubber stamp a proposal that has massive gaps in financial viability for this Council” said Ms Elliott.

-ends

[email, Tuesday, 17 June]

Hi

The Ruataniwha Dam has received substantial negative publicity and a Rally has been organised for this Friday to show support for the project.

This is a Rally by the people for the people. The project is at a crucial stage with HBRC deciding next week whether to invest.

Please come along and bring other supporters to the Rally. Please also pass on the attached flyer to your contacts

Regards

Damon

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