Turbine fight hots up

IRON SANDS: Local historian Noel Hilliam with a jar of iron sand which he says he found off the beach in Pouto. Mr Hilliam believes the iron sands will stop Crest Energy’s power project going ahead due to its magnetism to electricity.

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Te Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira told a meeting in Dargaville to drop chains and anchors into the Kaipara Harbour in protest against Crest Energy's marine turbine project.

Crest Energy plans to develop a marine turbine power resource by setting up 200 submerged turbines at the harbour entrance, estimated at $600 million over 10 years.

The system could eventually provide up to 4 percent of the country’s power.

Kaipara mayor Neil Tiller thanked Mr Harawira for being the only Member of Parliament to visit the community on the issue.

Mr Tiller said the National government had failed the people of the Kaipara miserably.

He says he approached then fisheries minister Phil Heatley about his "poor" report to the Environment Court on the matter but "he didn’t want to discuss it".

"I wrote to the Conservation Minister Tim Groser but he was away on holiday and I got no response. Then we find out Tim had his portfolios shuffled and Kate Wilkinson was the new Conservation Minister," Mr Tiller said.

"I asked her to talk to the people of the Kaipara, but Ms Wilkinson said point blank ‘no’."

A fisherman said: "I’m opposed to this project because it will destroy recreational fishing."

Kaipara historian Noel Hilliam told the meeting that iron sand found at Pouto will interfere with the operation of the turbines because of its magnetic compounds.

It is understood the sea turbine power project has not been tested anywhere else in the world at this level. And one of the crowd asked: "Are we going to allow ourselves to be the guinea pigs of the world?"

Marine biologist Dr Roger Grace says Mr Harawira is to be applauded for his concern over the fishery.

"But in my opinion his criticism should be directed at the Ministry of Fisheries’ management of west coast snapper, not Crest Energy and their innovative, though admittedly unproven power project.

"The question Mr Harawira should be asking in Parliament is: "Why is west coast snapper still being fished when it is technically a collapsed stock?"

A study by Niwa scientists in 2003 found that 98 percent of the North Island’s west coast adult snapper were originally juveniles from the Kaipara Harbour. But west coast snapper is only 8 to 10 percent of its original biomass according to latest ministry figures and Dr Grace blames poor MOF management.

- © Fairfax NZ News