Marae trustees unhappy at lack of consultation on proposed hydro power station plans

An artist's impression of the turbines proposed by Glenview Estate but which is being opposed by the local hapū.

Trustees of a Northland marae are strongly rejecting claims by a local farmer seeking consents for a hydroelectric power station that they support the project.

Glenview Estate, owned by Neil and Dianne Lewis, has applied to the Northland Regional Council for consents to divert water from the Wairua River by building a low weir, digging, drilling, and blasting a short power canal.

Water from the river will be diverted to two turbines to generate about 3 megawatts of power.

The Lewis family trust, SBS Family Trust, is owned by Glenview Estate, which operates a 600-cow dairy farm and a small basalt quarry on Knight Rd in Kokopu, 21km west of Whangārei.

The Wairua River has two large waterfalls. The first is at Titoki where Northpower operates the Wairua hydroelectric power station, while the second is unnamed and is where Glenview intends to divert water around to a new power station.

In their resource consent application to NRC, the Lewises said Harry Tuhiwai, a trustee of the Korokota Marae situated next to the Wairua River in Titoki, was in charge of the elver relocation programme at the Northpower station and would help with the proposed project in terms of building an elver ladder.

But Tuhiwai hit back, saying he neither gave an undertaking of any such work nor did his marae throw its support behind the project without proper consultation.

He confirmed meeting Neil Lewis in February to discuss plans for the proposed power station, particularly around taking care of eels and elvers, but that it was wrong for Lewis or anyone else to assume he or the other marae trustees supported the project.

"Neil needs to come down to our marae and explain his plans because my people are the kaitiaki all the way to the Hikurangi Swamp. I don't speak on behalf of my marae or the trustees.

"Another power station will threaten the eels and elvers even more. We are not for or against his plans but he must come up with a solid plan and come down and talk to us."

Tuhiwai said the marae trustees wanted Lewis to come to the marae during their meeting last Sunday but he didn't turn up.

Lewis didn't return repeated phone calls and messages left by the Northern Advocate to comment on Tuhiwai's comments.

The Whatitiri Resource Management Unit (WRMU) has asked NRC to immediately withdraw
the consent application until proper consultation with the local hapū was done.

Millan Ruka's hāpu is calling the NRC to withdraw an application for a power station until proper consultation is done. Photo / John Stone

Spokesman Millan Ruka said the application has a huge potential impact on his hapū's rohe awa and that all hapū in the catchment have a rightful concern of their shared waterways.

NRC group manager regulatory services Colin Dall said the council would process the application for consents according to the Resource Management Act.

Neil Lewis said earlier the cost of the project and other details were yet to be worked out and depended on his family trust getting the necessary consents.

Plans for a power station were born out of the fact that more sustainable farm practices were being demanded by the Government and Fonterra, he said.