Doubts on power viability

A big hydro-electric power scheme in the South Island is likely to cost at least twice the present estimate, say opponents.

The Waitaki River Users liaison group is sceptical about the $1.2 billion budget on Meridian Energy's planned Project Aqua development on the lower Waitaki River.

Group president Bruce Parker questioned whether public works were ever built on budget.

The project was probably at least two years away from being started and would take an estimated six years to complete, he said.

Meridian had also spent a considerable amount on getting Project Aqua to this stage.

He said that National Party leader Bill English, who met the river users' group as part of a Project Aqua familiarisation tour, expressed concern about the economic viability of the project and the risk to private contractors who would work with Meridian.

Mr Parker believed that Project Aqua, if it went ahead, would not be able to work to its maximum efficiency when it was needed most.

The winter was traditionally a time of low flows in the Waitaki River, when much of the precipitation in its catchment was in the form of snow.

Last week the river had been flowing at around 250 cumecs (cubic metres a second). The minimum flow during May under Project Aqua would be 115 cumecs, and another 70 cumecs would be needed to operate the project's canal, he said.

If the planned and existing 47 cumecs of irrigation water were also taken out, there would be little water to generate electricity in the canal.

- NZPA