A group called Wise Water Use has launched a campaign to stop Hawke's Bay's Ruataniwha Dam from being built. Photo: RNZ / Alexa Cook
- Plans for the nearly billion-dollar dam were scuppered in 2017 when the Supreme Court deemed a land swap unlawful
- But that could be overridden by the government's new Fast Track Approvals Bill
- The Ruataniwha Dam has been rebranded the Tukituki Water Security Project
- It would see a dam built on the Makaroro River, a tributary of the Tukituki River, and the flooding of 22 hectares of conservation land
A campaign has been launched to stop Hawke's Bay's controversial Ruataniwha Dam.
It is called 'Not in our Name', and is being led by the Wise Water Use group, who held their inaugural public meeting on Thursday night in Taradale. They are worried about the lack of community engagement and transparency between local councils and the public.
"Sane people would not accept this dam if they knew all the facts... they haven't consulted with us so it is 'not in our name'.
"We can start the campaign by you asking your councillors how they feel about it," said Gren Christie, from Wise Water Use.
He called the rebranded project "the same pig, but with lipstick on."
Wise Water Use spokesperson Trevor Le Lievre said among his concerns, was that the dam would result in more intensive farming in the area, and higher costs to residents.
"We believe that this project is ideological ego-driven madness.
"It will harm our environment and it will cost us taxpayers and ratepayers. Remember that $3 million of regional infrastructure funding... and $30 million of public money has been spent without a sod of earth being turned," he said.
The proposed Ruataniwha dam site. Photo: SUPPLIED
Exactly how the dam will be paid for is still a murky area, but the project is proposing to sell water from the dam for 30c - 40c per cubic metre.
"That price is reliant on the Hawke's Bay public picking up the tab for 20 million cubic metres of water annually for so called 'environmental flows'.
"Wise Water Use believes that the only practical way for this cost to be levied is via regional council rates. We have run the figures and calculate rates increases of over 10 percent," Le Lievre said.
About 100 people attended the meeting, many of them were concerned locals.
Jane told RNZ she did not agree with the dam being built. "I don't think that's a good way to treat the river," she said.
David said he followed the saga of the original Ruataniwha Dam closely, and could not believe it was back on the table.
"We're pleased that was cancelled... but now seeing it being revived and more money going into it... well it's going to benefit a small number of people and the bulk of us are going to suffer from a shortage of water and pollution of these waterways," he said.
Some of those attending Thursday night's meeting. Photo: RNZ / Alexa Cook
'We all care about water'
Sitting at the back of the meeting was the Tukituki Water Security Project chair Mike Peterson who did not speak or ask questions during the two-hour long gathering. However, he told RNZ he was keen to.
"We would have loved the opportunity to put our side of the story ... but we don't think there should be sides.
"We've never promoted water storage as a silver bullet for this region, but as part of range of options that can help with water security... there's a lot of things we can do together and we will make sure we do that," he said.
Although much of the meeting was criticising his planned dam, and the intentions behind it, Peterson feels there is common ground with the dam opponents.
"The encouraging thing is we actually have all the same objectives. We all care about water, we all care about the future of what happens here in Hawke's Bay and we all have a shared vision about we need to do something and we need to act now," he said.
Wise Water Use is holding a number of meetings to discuss their concerns with the project, with the next in Central Hawke's Bay followed by Hastings and then a site visit to the location of the proposed dam.
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