KEY POINTS:
The owner of a farm in the path of a big unstable lake behind a high country landslide is accusing the Department of Conservation of doing nothing to stop a catastrophic failure of the dam.
Water was lapping over the top of the 100m high Young River landslide dam in Mt Aspiring National Park last night. It was being closely monitored by DoC staff.
Tom Sturgess, an American with New Zealand citizenship, whose company Star Holding Ltd owns several farms in New Zealand, is one of DoC's neighbours at Makarora, downstream of the dam.
He has become increasingly concerned about the build-up of an estimated 20 million cubic metres of water behind the dam since the natural landslide in the Mt Aspiring National Park in late September. He intends to hold DoC financially responsible for any damage that might occur on his farm.
Otago conservator Jeff Connell says DoC does not accept liability and has suggested Mr Sturgess checks his insurance policy.
Star Holdings' Christchurch lawyer Kelvin Reid wrote to Mr Connell this week saying his client had offered DoC "every assistance in seeking to address the build-up of water behind the dam and ameliorate the risk of a catastrophic collapse".
"We understand that the Department has determined to take no action at all but simply allow the Young River to continue to flow into the lake and water to build up behind the dam until it overflows.
"We give notice that should damage occur to Mt Albert Station as a result of the escape of water ... Star Holdings intends to hold the Department financially responsible ... ".
Mr Connell said in a written reply Mr Sturgess' idea of "every assistance" was to assist DoC with blowing the dam up.
"We have rejected this as an option on the advice of our consulting geologists. There is no certainty that the dam will collapse in catastrophic fashion. Attempting to blow it up might make things worse, by causing a catastrophic collapse," Mr Connell said.
Geologist Jeff Bryant said yesterday it was not practical in the time available to do remedial works in the Young River.
"We can't get access into there. We can't get a road in there. The terrain is too difficult. It is a national park. We don't have any consents in place and it's actually too dangerous. Even getting a track up through the lower valley, it's just out of the question," Mr Bryant said.
"You can't really fly in big enough machinery to do anything. A lot of people talk about blasting but it's pretty ineffectual on such a large body of material."
Mr Reid this week also urgently requested DoC provide his client with copies of consultants' reports on the Young River landslide.
The matter was urgent because the imminent release of water had the potential to cause extensive damage to the farm. Star Holdings was investigating remedial actions and it wanted to review the consultants' advice to DoC, he said.
Staff at the office of the Minister of Conservation Chris Carter and the Otago Conservancy were not aware of any similar cases where a DoC neighbour had threatened a damages claim resulting from a natural event in a national park.
Makarora residents have been on a prolonged civil defence emergency alert but are relaxed about the potential for disaster and carrying on with their routines.
- Otago Daily Times
