Olympians, local kayakers, businesses and Forest & Bird are joining forces to fight plans for a hydro-electric scheme in the Bay of Plenty.
The Kaituna River is used as a training ground for extreme kayakers, but landowner Taheke 8C was preparing to lodge an application to build a weir – a low-head dam – which would divert the river flow into a private lake and affect three sections of white water.
The weir was part of Taheke 8C’s proposed green energy hub – including its geothermal project – aiming to provide 85% of the electricity currently imported into the Bay of Plenty region.
“The scheme will add value not only from an environmental perspective, but from an employment perspective and economic perspective,” Taheke 8C’s chief executive Peter Mason told 1News.
“Sometimes, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of a few.”
The Kaituna River was known to kayakers around the world, and was where Olympians Luuka Jones and Mike Dawson finessed their craft.
“It’s a place that people come from all over the world to experience to paddle to train to raft… once it gets in your blood, you never want to leave this place,” Dawson said.
Dawson said learning of the plans was “very confronting”.
“It’ll just have a really long-lasting and significant impact on the river itself.”
Forest & Bird has joined calls to halt the project, saying it “threatens the river’s ecological health”, as well as “world-class paddling opportunities”.
Local kayaker River Mutton grew up with the Okere Falls at her back doorstep, calling the river her “home”.
“I think that Taheke 8C should really consider how much effect this is going to have on people who really care about this river,” she said.
Taheke 8C was looking to submit its proposal in the coming months, likely under the Government’s Fast-track Approvals scheme, which opened for new applicants last month.
