Council rejects claims over dam due diligence

A public meeting on the Ruataniwha Dam scheme will be held in Napier this evening.

The promoters of the Ruataniwha dam have rejected a scientist's claims that sufficient analysis of underground water systems in Central Hawke's Bay has not been done to justify the $275 million irrigation scheme.

Hawke's Bay Today is holding a public meeting in Napier tonight to discuss the water-storage scheme which is being promoted by Hawke's Bay Regional Council through its commercial arm, Hawke's Bay Regional Investment Company.

Hydrogeologist Gil Zemansky told Radio New Zealand the regional council had not fully investigated the availability of deep aquifer water in the Ruataniwha basin.

"Their [HBRC's] groundwater model was not deep enough to cover the aquifer. They left out the deeper aquifers," said Dr Zemansky, a former GNS scientist who gave evidence as an expert witness for Fish & Game during a board of inquiry hearing into the Ruataniwha dam.

The council's acting chief executive, Iain Maxwell, said the underground water networks in the area had been studied significantly and it was known that the deep water Dr Zemansky was referring to was connected to the rest of the aquifer which was essentially a single "bucket" of water.

"Therefore how much water there is at depth, and the feasibility of getting it out, is academic because the evidence we have is it's all connected and it all discharges out of the basin via the Tukituki and Waipawa Rivers," Mr Maxwell said.

"All of this was traversed through the board of inquiry process, including the view that our model was no good.

"The board of inquiry didn't agree with that," he said.

If it goes ahead, the Ruataniwha dam will provide additional water for farmers on the Ruataniwha Plains, where current allocations to take underground water are fully subscribed.

The council has conditionally agreed to invest up to $80 million of ratepayers' money in building the scheme, but it will only go ahead if a number of conditions are met, including that sufficient farmers sign up to 35-year water-take agreements so that the project is financially viable.

Dam meeting tonight

Backers and opponents of the Ruataniwha dam will square off at a public meeting to be held in Napier this evening.

Organised by Hawke's Bay Today, the meeting will include a presentation from Andrew Newman, chief executive of the regional council-owned company promoting the $275 million scheme, Hawke's Bay Regional Investment Company.

Mr Newman's presentation will be followed by a panel discussion, featuring Wellington economist Peter Fraser and Fish & Game environmental manager Corina Jordan who have been invited to participate by Transparent Hawke's Bay which opposes the regional council's plans to invest up to $80 million of ratepayer money into the Ruataniwha scheme.

The meeting is being held at Tamatea Intermediate School, beginning at 6.30pm.
Questions on the scheme will not be taken from the floor but readers are invited to email questions to: editor@hbtoday.co.nz

People will be asked to make a gold coin donation to the Limitless Hope Emergency Shelter Appeal.