The Minister of Conservation gives notice of her intention to grant a lease, licence and easement concession for a term of 49 years under section 17Q of the Conservation Act 1987 to Westpower Limited to construct and operate a run of the river hydro scheme on the Waitaha River on the West Coast.
How to submit
Submissions closed on Monday 14 November 2016.
DOC received 3264 submissions on the Waitaha Hydro Proposal.
This number includes 2864 Forest and Bird template submissions and a Green Party submission with 2343 signatures.
Submissions received
DOC's analysis of the application
Concession officer's report (PDF, 3,457K)
12 June 2018 letter to submitters
Westpower has proposed some additional measures to address the potential adverse effects on recreation (kayaking and tramping). This letter has been sent out to the submitters who have already made submissions on the application. The letter invites submitters to provide comment on the additional measures proposed by Westpower by 5 pm Wednesday 4 July.
Read the letter to submitters (PDF 107K)
DOC's technical reports
These reports review the effects on:
- Freshwater (PDF, 65K)
- Terrestrial (PDF, 267K)
- Lizards (PDF, 67K)
- Birds and bats (PDF, 580K)
- Invertebrates (PDF, 162K)
- Blue duck (PDF, 123K)
- Recreation (PDF, 1,075K)
- Recreation assessment (PDF, 1,071K)
- Natural character/landscape and visual amenity (PDF, 20K) - assessment of further information required
- Natural character/landscape and visual amenity effects (PDF, 360K) - initial comments
- Natural character/landscape and visual amenity effects (PDF, 1,529K) - updated comments following changes to application
- Westpower's geotechnical aspects (PDF, 247K) - peer view
Other information received
These reports were received under section17s(4)(a) and (b) of the Conservation Act 1987:
- Impacts of the proposed Waitaha River Westpower hydro scheme on white water and kayaking values (PDF, 4,247K) - Whitewater New Zealand
- Baldwin report: Proposed Waitaha hydro scheme: assessment of reasons, financial viability and alternative locations (PDF, 3,131K) - Tony Baldwin, Law and Economics Consultant
- Westpower response to Baldwin report (PDF, 1,956K) - 23 September 2015
- Boyle report: Response to the Department of Conservation – The New Zealand electricity industry and market (PDF, 643K) - Asset Rock Limited, 21 September 2015
- Letter reviewing Boyle report (PDF, 650K) - Brown, Copeland & Co Limited
- Review of financial viability of the Waitaha hydro project (PDF, 1,108K) - Hugh Ammundsen, September 2015
Westpower application resources
Application for concessions and assessment of effects on Westpower website
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