Marae trust blockade targets $450m power project

Taitimu Maipi of Huntly's Waahi Whanui Trust.

A Waikato marae collective has vowed to block a bridge to stop a 255-tonne transformer reaching Huntly Power Station.

Huntly's Waahi Whanui Trust members say they will stop traffic crossing Tainui Bridge in protest at what they claim has been a lack of consultation and recognition from Genesis Energy.

The company has spent millions upgrading the bridge and strengthening highways for the load, which left Auckland on Monday.

The shipment is the heaviest to travel on New Zealand roads, aboard a 13-axle, 208-wheel flat-deck truck. It is due at the bridge early tomorrow morning.

Trust chairman Taitimu Maipi said the protest was seen as the only way to get the heads of Genesis Energy, Solid Energy and Environment Waikato to discuss whanau concerns and talk about compensation.

"We are very strict on this, there will be a protest on that bridge and nothing will get across unless our conditions are met."

He said 1 per cent of the cost of the upgrade - a formula used to provide compensation when the power station was built - was appropriate.

The power station upgrade has cost around $450 million, which would equate to compensation of about $4.5 million.

Mr Maipi said the region had seen few benefits other than some jobs to compensate for the environmental and visual impact of the development.

"We are the ones who must endure this major asset on our doorstep. All we are asking is for recognition of that."

However Genesis spokesman Richard Gordon rejected the claims, labelling them unreasonable and not reflective of the wider Huntly community.

The company had spent $100,000 on community initiatives, created job opportunities and trained almost 100 people. He said millions were spent upgrading roads and the Tainui bridge.

"We find it extremely disappointing and quite unreasonable that a small number of people from one marae, two days before the transformer is planned to arrive at Huntly, start standing up and demanding compensation for the existence of the power station which has been there for 30 years."

Mr Gordon blamed frustration by Waahi Marae for the protest, after negotiations for a temporary bypass across marae land fell through.

He said the company offered to provide around $100,000 worth of upgrades at the marae including new roads, carparks and drainage.

"They came back with [Labour MP] Nanaia Mahuta and said, 'Yeah sure you can do that but we want $200,000 in cash as well'. We declined that."

Genesis instead went to the Waikato District Council, which agreed to the temporary bypass on council land.

Mr Gordon said the convoy was being escorted by police who had given an assurance that roads would be kept clear.