Brownlee spills on Mokihinui hydro-electricity project

Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee says reports of him saying the Mokihinui River dam will not go ahead are out of context, and he is not interfering with the planning process.

State-owned Meridian Energy wants to build an 85-metre high hydro-electricity dam on the river to produce 80MW, enough to supply the West Coast.

Mr Brownlee made the assertion at a Grey Power-organised public meeting on electricity issues in Nelson on Monday, ahead of resource consent decisions on the Mokihinui project which are due later this month.

Delighted, Nelson-based Forest and Bird regional field officer Debs Martin in the audience, shouted to him: "Thank you."

She said afterward she was stunned. "That was the best news I've heard all year."

Mr Brownlee said today he was not planning on interfering in the planning process in any way.

The reported comments were a few seconds out of a meeting that had lasted two hours and were taken out of context by an organisation that was seeking publicity, he said.

Meridian spokesman Alan Seay said Mr Brownlee was entitled to say whatever his view was. The company was awaiting the commissioners' decision and declined to comment further.

Ms Martin said if constructed, the dam would be the largest inundation of conservation estate seen in this country, covering 340 hectares.

Forest and Bird is one of eight national conservation and outdoor recreation organisations which are part of the Wild Rivers campaign opposing the project.

A decision on consents is due at the end of the month from commissioners delegated by the West Coast Regional Council and the Buller District Council.

Regional council consents and compliance manager Colin Dall said no decision had been made or released. "Any comment on whether it goes ahead or not is purely speculation."

The commissioners' decision can be appealed to the Environment Court. Meridian's concession authorisation application to the Conservation Minister is also still being processed. The Department of Conservation opposed the project at the consent hearing.

Mr Brownlee's statement came as he was questioned at the meeting about future power generation projects. He referred to a project on the West Coast, and someone from the audience called out "Mokihinui".

Mr Brownlee said: "Not the Mokihinui – the Mokihinui will not go ahead."

Ms Martin said: "Thank you." Mr Brownlee then quickly said: "Well, that's my view."

He then went on to talk about the Stockton Plateau power project and said it offered a lot of opportunities, not only to generate electricity but also to clean out some of the acid from the mining operation there.

Mr Brownlee believed the way ahead in the future was smaller-scale generation and enhancements of existing generation. He said he was greatly in favour of geothermal power generation, and less in favour of wind because of visual pollution.

Labour's energy spokesman, Charles Chauvel, said Mr Brownlee's comments to the meeting showed he was out of depth in his portfolio.

Ministers should not express personal views about projects.

"Clearly he has been advised that there will be issues with consenting. It makes a mockery of the process to disclose that sort of advice in the way he has, without notice to the parties and in an aside at a public meeting," Mr Chauvel said.

- With NZPA