Kaituna Kaitiaki

08 NOV 2009:
Forest and Bird are organising a Save the Kaituna Day on the River on December 5 to raise awareness of the river and the threats.  Email A.Fleming@forestandbird.org.nz or miriam@odlin.no if you would like to help out.  Otherwise show up on the day.

20 APR 2008:

Kaituna Kaitiaki the care takers of the Kaituna River is now an incorporated society and ready to challenge the BOPE resource consent application. Join now and show your support!
 

19 Dec 2007:
DOC has granted a concession to BOPE who will now proceed to the next stage of resource consent approval for a planned power station on the Kaituna River.
 

07 DEC 2007
Rotorua Daily Post

BY ALISON BROWN Plans for a hydro power station on the Kaituna River could be scrapped, sparking fears millions could be lost from the local economy.

The Rotorua Chamber of Commerce understands the Department of Conservation's director general is expected to make a final decision on an internal recommendation not to allow the hydro scheme to go ahead.

The planned $40 million dollar project would see about half a hectare of DOC's 54ha Upper Kaituna scenic reserve lost to create a hydro scheme capable of supplying up to 15 per cent of Rotorua's power needs.

The department had approved the project in principle by regional general manager Barbara Browne.  
  But it's understood that decision was reversed following concern about the scheme's impact on the reserve's scenic and botanical values.

DOC's director general Al Morrison is considering the recommendation and his decision is expected in a few weeks.

The project needs to be signed off by DOC as landowners before applicants - Bay of Plenty Energy (formerly Bay of Plenty Electricity) - can apply to the regional council for resource consent.

Yesterday DOC's media spokesman, Mark Davies, wouldn't confirm the internal recommendation was to reject the proposal.

However, he said the department was giving the application to build a dam and flood part of the scenic reserve "very careful consideration".

The earlier decision by Ms Browne to support the project was a step in the process to ensure public submissions could be considered. DOC was bound by requirements of the Conservation Act to consider whether the proposal would be "contrary to the purpose for which the scenic reserve was held".

That meant taking into account the impact the scheme would have on the Kaituna's landscape and the reserve's scenic and botanical values, Mr Davies said.

The proposal involves building a hydro power station, which would generate 13.5 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 10,000 homes, or 15 per cent of Rotorua's demand.

The 54ha reserve borders the western bank of the Kaituna River and is downstream from Okere Falls and the Trout Pool.

The power station would involve some permanent damage to the reserve, including flooding a 1.2km-long strip of vegetation to power the station. A further 2.5km of river would have its level reduced by as much as 2.6m downstream of the dam.

The scheme has drawn a number of critics, with several making formal submissions opposing the plans by March's deadline.

They included commercial kayaking operators with concerns also voiced by Fish and Game over the scheme's impact on fisheries.

Yesterday Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Roger Gordon said scrapping the project meant Rotorua would lose millions in lost business opportunities.

Casualties would include local engineering and construction firms. Latest Transpower figures show at peak times the region has to bring in over half the power it uses and, with demand set to rise 25 per cent in the next 10 years, local generation options are vital.

"We need local generation opportunities if we are to provide the secure energy supply that Rotorua needs to grow - we believe Kaituna offers that," Mr Gordon said.

8 March 2007
All submitters who wish to be heard in support of their submission will be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard by the Department of Conservation.

Submissions close on the 12th March 2007 at 4 pm and must be sent to Upper Kaituna Scenic Reserve Submissions, Department of Conservation,  PO Box 1146,  99 Sala Street, Rotorua 3010, fax: (07) 349-7401, email kaituna@doc.govt.nz

Here is the web link for the forms to down load for a submission
The only other site that has info is the BOPE site -
They have an over view of the plan <but do not use their submission forms as they only have fields that support the proposal nothing to oppose it....>
 

7 March 2007
Article in the NZ Herald about kayakers opposition to the Kaituna dam proposal.
 

19th Dec 06
After speaking to BOPE today, DOC are advertising a public meeting (Sat 13th Jan 07) Submissions will be taken until March 12th 07.
 

NEWS Dec 06 - Decision close on Bay dam
 
NZ Hearald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10414006

Wednesday December 6, 2006
 
Conservation Minister Chris Carter says a decision on a Bay of Plenty hydro project is coming soon and has hinted it will receive his approval.
 
The Conservation Department has been considering the Upper Kaituna hydro project for more than a year.
 
Bay of Plenty Electricity's proposal would supply 13.5MW of electricity, enough to power about 10,000 homes.
 
It requires approval under the Resource Management Act but also needs a concession under the Conservation Act because between 0.5 and 1ha of a 54ha reserve would end up under water.
 
Mr Carter told Parliament that a decision was now close.
 
"A decision on the Kaituna project is very imminent," Mr Carter said.
 
"I can say that some good news is very close on that project."
 
National's environment spokesman Nick Smith said the Conservation Department had a record of blocking renewable energy projects.
 
Mr Carter said that was not correct, and any encroachment on DOC land was treated on its merits.
 
"One of the things I think all New Zealanders are proud of is our beautiful natural environment. Protecting that environment is a very important task of the department," Mr Carter said.
 
The two men disagreed about how long it had taken DOC to consider the proposal and who was responsible for the delay.
 
- NZPA
 

END OF SEPT UPDATE:
Brash says process holding up vital water project
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."

End of May 06 update: There have been further delays and a decision from DoC is now due end of May / early June. The delay is due to amount of feedback from Bay of Plenty Electricity on DoC's draft recommendation.

I have just spoken to Mark Davies from Rotorua DoC about the proposed dam on the Kaituna River which will dramatically affect Awesome and Gnarly Gorges. In short, it is still a waiting game to see if BoP Electricity (BoPE) get their concession from DoC to flood part of the Kaituna reserve.
The situation is that DoC sent their draft report and recommendations to Bay of Plenty Electricity (BoPE) before Christmas. BoPE were supposed to have commented on their recommendations by the end of January, but in the end BoPE only submitted their comments at the end of March. DoC are reviewing BoPE's comments and a final decision is expected by the beginning of May (hopefully this date should be fairly fixed as the process is now purely internal to DoC).
 

End of Jan 06
This is the current situation on the Bay of Plenty Electricity dam which would affect Awesome and Gnarly Gorge.

- As advised in the Kaituna Project low-down article in the last NZ Canoeing magazine (and available on the website) there are two processes for the dam to go ahead - BoPE has to first get a concession from DoC and if this is approved then they will apply for a resource consent.
- The DoC Bay of Plenty office has already drafted a report including their recommendation on whether to approve Bay of Plenty Electricity's application for a DoC concession to flood part of the Kaituna Scenic Reserve.
- DoC is expected to make their recommendation public later in February, so it's a wait and see game for the moment.

Note that there are whispers of other dams on the Kaituna that don't affect DoC land. So the bottom line is that even if DoC do the "right thing" and refuse to give BoPE a concession, the Kaituna fight is NOT over.

As regards the TV3 video footage of Kenny Mutton's et al's trip down the gorges (thanks for doing this). We are trying to get a copy of the video
footage for publication on the website so that the public and mere mortals such as myself can understand more fully what a great resource the Kaituna is. We'll keep you posted on what we can do.

20/12/05 - Mighty River Power has been getting support from the land owners in the lower georges of the Kaituna to build a 2nd dam on the river, users of the Smokey falls section have been told that if they oppose the proposed dam their access to the river will be cut off. 

Kaituna Hydro-project Lowdown (www.rivers.org.nz)

Overview of BOPE's plans for a dam that would destroy the Awesome Gorge section and dewater the Gnarly Gorge section on the Kaituna River

Bay of Plenty Electricity's (BOPE) proposal to dam the lower Kaituna Gorges has gained momentum with its recent application for a concession in order to flood some of the Department of Conservation's (DoC) scenic reserve on river left. It is to be emphasised that this section of the Kaituna River is under serious threat. BOPE is putting a lot of effort in their proposal and the landowner on river right, Taheke Inc., has given its blessing.

The 7m dam is proposed to be built halfway down the Awesome Gorge at the spot that sledgers use as a take-out. The water will be diverted into a canal for 2.5km ultimately feeding the power station, after which it will be released back into the river below the Gnarly Gorge. This leaves the river in between dry with all the water above the dam backed up to the Trout Pool Falls.

These gorges are unique in New Zealand. The only similar waterway is the Mangorewa which feeds into the Kaituna. However, this requires a specific flood flow and only enters a gorge system close to its confluence with the Kaituna. Not only does the Kaituna have spectacular scenery and whitewater, it is one of the few rivers in the North Island that flows all year.

Because the proposed scheme affects part of the Kaituna River Scenic Reserve, Bay of Plenty Electricity have to go through two approval processes - a concession process with DoC and the normal resource consent process:

•

Concession process

A concession needs to be granted by the Bay of Plenty Conservancy (DoC) as the scheme will flood some of the scenic reserve. The power company has already made an application with DoC. If DoC decides to decline their concession application, that will be where it stops. They may also decide to give an "approval in principle" meaning that public submissions will be sought. Until this point, DoC doesn't have to consider any information that people send to them.

•

Resource consent process

The hydro-power company is unlikely to apply for a resource consent until they have a DoC concession. Once they have got the concession, they will apply to Environment Bay of Plenty and submit an assessment of the effects of the dam on the environment including whitewater recreation. Paddlers will have the opportunity to submit on the resource consent.

What can you do?

• Submit if DoC invites submissions on the concession.

• Submit when the resource consent becomes public.

• Register your interest about the proposed Kaituna dam.

Written by Duncan Catanach and Guido Wassink, with contributions from Mike Dawson, Donald Calder, Kenny Mutton and Johan Roozenburg.