News
Brash says process holding up vital water project
20 September 2006
After visiting the Bay of Plenty site yesterday Dr Brash released a statement saying it was "outrageous" that the Department of Conservation spent 13 months deciding on a concession application for the upper Kaituna hydro project only to recommend it be declined.The project, proposed by Bay of Plenty Electricity, would supply 13.5 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 10,000 homes. It required approval under the Resource Management Act but also needed a concession under the Conservation Act because between 0.5 and 1ha of a 54ha reserve would end up under water.
"National is very concerned that DOC officials have recommended that the concession which would allow this scheme to go ahead be declined, given that the reserve area to be inundated is so small," Dr Brash said.
"And it is ridiculous that it takes DOC 13 months to consider an application for an area of land less than a hectare in size – and that is even before the company seeks consent under the RMA."
But Conservation Minister Chris Carter said Dr Brash had blamed DOC for the delays when the applicant had slowed things down.
"At least six months of this delay was caused by the applicant. There was a two month delay while the applicant provided a fuller application to DOC, and a further four month delay while the applicant provided DOC with comments on a draft report."
He said complex applications needed proper consideration.
"Sustainable management of our environment is about careful, considered and balanced decision-making. Dr Brash still doesn't seem to have grasped it," Mr Carter said.
The decision would be made in accordance with the law.
"If the scheme stacks up then it will proceed, if it doesn't then it will not and no amount of grandstanding by Dr Brash will change that," Mr Carter said.
Dr Brash said the Government needed to remove roadblocks to new power generation.
"As a consequence of the axing of other hydro schemes like Dobson on the West Coast and project Aqua, New Zealand has ended up with the worst possible environmental outcome – the burning of coal to generate electricity."
Mr Carter said Dr Brash's stance on the environment was confused.
"Last weekend he was welcoming former Green MP Ian Ewen-Street to his party proclaiming National's new interest in the environment. Three days later, he is campaigning for a private company's power project and criticising New Zealand's premier environmental agency for a decision it hasn't made yet."