Groups vow to halt dam

I would agree with Maureen on the fact as a country we need more power generation, the only problem is the the thosuands of submissions made under the resource management act by the public against such a project. While remembering submissions arent just presented by locals, but by anyone wherever they live and for any reason. The fact of the matter is how can someone not living in or near a the project have the right to protest against power generation , unless it affects them? I do think we should look at the environmental and social impacts as long the public understands without future hydro projects some people will be living in the dark. I wonder if the public who are against the project acutally know what environment impacts will occure or have they been misinformed by basesless facts of environmental groups and popular media focus of the time. Thats not to say there isnt negtive environmental effect there could be, like the disruption of sediment transportation to name one.

Those who oppose these sort of schemes rarely put forward an alternative aside from 'use less'. Using less will help - for a season. In the long run, however, we will need more generation. I would like to see the groups who oppose these sort of schemes come up with some solutions. I would definitely pay more for power to have it generated more sustainably. Nuclear is not sustainable but maybe can be done with less damage, wind can only generate a certian percentage, wave and tidal have a limited potental. To me, hydro is one of the best options. Protest and make sure that it is done with minimal impact but don't naively think that demand will stop growing.

Meridian should realise that with the huge number of interest groups against their proposed dam, they won't have a shit show, not to mention that it is conservation land. Why not donate the vast some of money which they will inevitably waste in court to a decent community development project on the coast (could even give all the coasters energy saving light bulbs - what a bright idea). You would save all of the interest groups a lot of cash too. Look what happened on the failed Gowan Scheme. Glad to see that the West Coast White Bait association is against the proposed dam too (you don't really get more hard core west coast than that). Back to the drawing board you short-sighted, greedy and unimaginative office wallers! I'm not a greeny but I am a west coaster and I say the idea of a dam sucks! Go try and spoil someone elses world class back yard.

In response to #2 and #3.

The reality is environmental groups do not accept we need to source power from somewhere, coal, nuclear, wind....the problem not so much is the supply it's NZ wastes a lot of power in transmission.

It would be nice to see the North Islanders who have the current cheap power loose their supply.....perhaps that would reduce the environmental complaints about new generation.

Yes I do realise how important the eviroment is, I also realise that I as a human have some rights too. Quite often these rights are "trampled" upon by the loud voices of people trying to stop progess. As a country we need to expand, and to do this we need to infringe on some greens toes. Why should I feel "passionate" about your causes? I have a right to my own views, and I have voiced them. We arent asking for ALL the rivers in NZ, just some, which I have rights too as well. We dont live in the middle ages, although I am sure some wish we still did. Do I care about birds and the forests? Yes of course I do, where I live we have all the birds you could ever wish to see and its beaut listening to them. I hope the Dam is approved, it will mean more work, more jobs for the Coast, and maybe, just maybe cheaper electric for us whom have worked hard all our lives, paid taxes, and now would would like a quieter life.

If only those who so vehemently attack nature/ecosystem conservation would instead turn that emotion toward energy conservation. We are one of the most wasteful economies in the OECD. We have a bigger environmental footprint than Australians, and yet people like Maureen would argue we still have "plenty of green places". I ownder whether Maureen considers pine forests and man-made reservoirs to be "green places"? The NZ public on the whole needs to be far better educated on the meaning and importance (indeed reliance for future survival) on maintaining and enhancing our natural biodiversity.

So when the Mokihinui has been destroyed to create cheap power for you, which will be the next river ... and the next, and the next, as we continue to sacrifice rivers for ever-increasing energy demand? Surely you need to look instead at energy efficiency and genuinely sustainable power generation. We're not trying to halt everything - quite the opposite: we're trying to ensure that generation is sustainable into the future. Helen Bain, Forest & Bird.

Ok so all the so called "carers" of our country want to stop progess once again, well we could go Nuclear eh? We need a better electric supply than what we have, one flaming line from somewhere to service the whole of the West Coast. I want to go rafting, I want to tramping these selfish people shout... well I WANT cheaper electric. I have rights too, and I get fed up with the greens and co trying to halt everything. New Zealand has plenty of green places for the healthy rabble to walk tramp and climb. Oh go save some snails... and leave us alone.