Media Release Monday 22nd April 2013

Further Call for Delay in Dam

A further step has been taken in seeking time out over the Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme.

Transparent Hawke’s Bay has submitted a request to the Minister for Environment asking her to delay calling in the project, expected to be notified in early May. The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s Investment Company will lodge resource consent applications directly with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Minister must then make a decision to refer the matter to the Environment Court, or to a Board of Inquiry. It would almost certainly be the latter.

This move follows a complaint to the Auditor General last week over the Long Term Plan process.

Transparent Hawke’s Bay asserts that the public were not provided with relevant information at the time of consultation on the Draft Long Term Plan; that subsequent changes to the estimated costs have significantly changed the likely ownership structure; key feasibility and economic reports were not completed until late in 2012 with no opportunity for further public hearings; and there is no information on financial risk or potential risk to ratepayers.

Transparent Hawke’s Bay chair, Pauline Elliott, says there has been a rapidly growing call for financial structures, and environmental and economic assumptions to be independently reviewed.

“There is strong support for a delay of up to six months to achieve genuine consultation and independent review. Given the magnitude of this project, and a time horizon of possibly 70 years, it would seem not only prudent, but crucial”
“This is not about nit-picking nuisances making a noise” says Ms. Elliott, “there is genuine concern from highly credible and experienced people saying this is too big, and too important, not to get it right”.

ENDS

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