Press release

Anglers welcome National's Energy Policy, but….

Anglers, frustrated by the succession of power schemes exploiting public rivers, have given the National Party's energy policy, a "thumbs up."

President Ian Rodger said the push for coal fired power stations, given the new clean burning technology, was welcome as was upgrading of transmission lines where substantial increased efficiencies and subsequent reduction in losses, could be gained. It is good to see common sense prevail – short term.

Mr Rodger said New Zealand must not keep exploiting the public's free running rivers to the detriment of future generations.

"Our rivers are finite in number, whereas we reportedly have vast reserves of coal”.

Mr Rodger said opposition to coal fired power stations was hollow and hypocritical when New Zealand exported vast amounts of coal for China and India’s great number of coal fired power stations. If this fossil fuel is to be mined, then it’s logical for it to be used here rather than accruing further energy usage (and emissions) in long distance haulage to far distant lands.

However National’s plan to dismember the RMA may well have far-reaching consequences in making the damming of our wonderful rivers even easier. This concerns us greatly.

ends

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