Dam opponents set to fight

Opponents are telling Network Tasman to "bugger off"' with its latest proposals to generate electricity on the Matakitaki River.

The Richmond-based power company has held five meetings in Nelson and Murchison over the past three days to outline its options. It has abandoned run-of-river schemes and is looking at dams or canals at Blue Rock, Horse Bridge, Wheelers Creek and Mammoth Gorge on the river.

Murchison resident Larry Charles, who attended three of the meetings, said today the reaction from kayakers was "bugger off".

Opponents, who include fishermen, kayakers and tourism operators, are now setting up an incorporated society, River Guardians Murchison, to fight power generation on the river.Steve Wood said the group would meet on Wednesday at 7pm, in the MESI building in Murchison, to approve a constitution and elect committee members. "We will fight it all the way."

Mr Wood, who runs a lodge, said dams on the river would have a devastating impact on its ecology and on recreation, affecting tourism businesses in Murchison.

"Our concern is that being a consumer-owned business organisation, Network Tasman will value the opinion of the thousands who live in Richmond over the 1000 who rely on the river for their livelihood." Fishermen and kayakers came to the Matakitaki because it was a wild river, and were not interested in lakes created by dams, he said.

Network Tasman has contracted an independent facilitator, Peter Lawless, to run meetings with interest groups. He held a meeting with organisations at Network Tasman's office in Hope on Friday, but told a Nelson Mail journalist to leave. He also met landowners, kayakers, fishermen and the Murchison District Community Council at the weekend.

Mr Lawless is to collate feedback and prepare a report for Network Tasman. The company will use that report and a pre-feasibility study to assess whether to go on to the feasibility stage.

Mr Wood said opponents would not know until the end of July whether Network Tasman would decide to proceed.

- © Fairfax NZ News