Power company seeks to do deals

TrustPower representatives have been knocking on the doors of landowners in the Wairau Valley, with the Environment Court decision due this month on the future of a hydro-electric power scheme on the Wairau River.

Some of the 45 landowners whose properties would be crossed by the scheme confirmed this week that TrustPower was touching base in the valley. Most were prepared to tell The Marlborough Express they had talked to representatives of the electricity generation company, but would not be quoted.

Vern Harris, of Blenheim company Property and Land Management Services (Palms), confirmed a team made up of himself, colleague Ron Sutherland and TrustPower portfolio manager Adrian Wortman had stepped up visits throughout the Wairau Valley ahead of the Environment Court decision. The Blenheim company has liaised with landowners for TrustPower.

One source told The Express some people got the impression during discussion with the team that TrustPower assumed it had resource consent for the scheme and was threatening to apply for "requiring authority" to get compulsory access to the land it would cross. However, none of the landowners contacted agreed.

"They were bending over backwards to appease my doubts about carving my property in half," one man said.

There seemed to be some willingness to look at compromising the route of the canal that will link the five proposed power stations.

Another man said the discussion had been "businesslike", with the visit focused on easements that must be negotiated before he would sign approval.

Some landowners suggested the market compensation being offered by TrustPower was inadequate because of the disruption to farming during construction, inconvenience of the canal cutting farms in two, earthquake risks and social divisions created in the valley.

Several said they recognised the benefits of irrigation that came with the scheme but did not want canals, floodways or power stations on their land.

One man was disappointed by the delays of the Environment Court appeal, saying his farm was already irrigated but the scheme would make access to the water cheaper and easier.

Wairau Valley landowner Alison Parr said TrustPower was "attempting to coerce landowners into signing contracts ... with the information they have resource consent".

Ms Parr appealed the Marlborough District Council consent approval for the scheme to the Environment Court.

Mr Harris denied TrustPower had any prior knowledge of the court decision, due out this month.

Mr Harris said visits focused on the 40 per cent of landowners who had not signed an agreement for the scheme to cross their properties. TrustPower had not applied for requiring authority but, if asked, said this was part of the mix the company would consider if people continued to hold out.

All affected landowners were being offered the same compensation formula based on impact on total land value and effects on the property, he said.

An annual fee paid to everyone who signed ranged from $1000 to about $9000, based on land area covered by the scheme.

The Environment Ministry yesterday confirmed it had no record of an application for a requiring authority relating to the Wairau River from the Tauranga-based company.

- The Marlborough Express

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