New Zealanders are called upon to protest the impending flooding of 330 hectares of rainforest due to the massive Mokihinui project
In a bid to encourage New Zealanders to voice their opposition, Forest & Bird has initiated a campaign urging Meridian Energy to abandon its plan to construct an 85-metre-high dam on the pristine Mokihinui River, located on the West Coast.
The organization is urging citizens to send a Forest & Bird e-card to the publicly-owned Meridian, advocating for the company to uphold its environmentally-conscious principles by leaving the Mokihinui untouched. A sizable postcard has already been presented by representatives of Forest & Bird at Meridian’s Wellington headquarters to launch the campaign. The public can express their sentiments through the Forest & Bird website or Facebook page.
Support has poured in for Forest & Bird from MPs such as Chris Hipkins, Peter Dunne, and Kevin Hague, along with representatives from organizations that advocate for kayakers, rafters, and trampers, all of whom share the desire to preserve the river’s natural state.
“We are encouraging Meridian to enhance its reputation as a renewable energy generator by preserving this non-renewable river in its untouched condition. This e-card initiative allows New Zealanders to collectively demonstrate to Meridian the significance of this beautiful river to us,” stated Mike Britton, General Manager of Forest & Bird.
Quentin Duthie, Conservation Advocate for Forest & Bird, remarked: “Destructive dams represent outdated technology and are no longer an acceptable solution for our irreplaceable wild rivers.”
The proposed dam by Meridian aims to create a 14-kilometre-long reservoir that would inundate 330 hectares of rainforest and riverbed within the Mokihinui River gorge, marking New Zealand’s largest conservation land loss due to a hydroelectric project.
Meridian was previously the main sponsor of Project Crimson, which focuses on the protection and restoration of rata and pohutukawa trees across New Zealand. A wealth of rata trees lining the Mokihinui would be submerged beneath the proposed hydro lake.
Furthermore, the dam poses a threat to 16 endangered bird species, including the blue duck, or whio, in addition to at least two unique species of giant land snails and the critically endangered long-tailed bat.
The construction of the dam would interfere with the breeding migration of an estimated quarter of a million endangered longfin eels while also destroying vital habitats for other native fish, such as the giant and short-jawed kokopu.
Both Forest & Bird and the Department of Conservation, along with other entities, are contesting the resource consent that Meridian was granted last year. However, the company also needs the approval of DOC as the landowner to flood public conservation land or to privatize the gorge by exchanging it for alternative land.
Documents acquired through the Official Information Act have disclosed that DOC had intended to reject Meridian’s proposals. Upon receiving draft responses from DOC, the company withdrew its applications but remains dedicated to the dam, likely intending to reapply.
“Forest & Bird urges Meridian to acknowledge DOC’s conclusion that this dam is entirely unacceptable and to concentrate on environmentally-friendly initiatives,” Quentin Duthie added.
by David Livingstone
