Other Clutha schemes?

Press, 4 August 1977, Page 19

Other Clutha schemes?

The two schemes most talked about for the hydro-electric development of the Clutha Valley, schemes F and H, are not the only alternatives available to the Government, says Mr Jim McCahon, of the Clutha Action Committee, Canterbury. He was replying to a statement by the Minister of Energy Resources (Mr Gair) in “The Press” on July 27. In his press release Mr McCahon said: “The Minister compared schemes F and H as though they were the only alternatives for development of the power potential of the Clutha River. This is not true; scheme F is only a rather more destructive version of scheme H which, itself, would do enormous damage to the region. Many other proposals have been considered, several of which would do very much less damage, while still allowing virtually the whole power potential to be developed,” he said. “Successive official bodies, which have studied the proposals, have recommended that a great deal more research be done be-

fore a firm commitment is made — especially a commitment to the construction of the high dam of scheme H which would fix the pattern of development,” said Mr McCahon.

A low dam at Clyde, at the D.G. 3 site, could be built, leaving options open for less damaging development of the upper reaches cf the river. “Mr Gair made much of the stimulation of Otago by the money to be spent on the Clutha development. Some may doubt that the effects, social and environmental, of such an injection of money will be all good. Be that as it may, this is no argument for the present shortsighted scheme F, since any less damaging development of the power resources and, hopefull,y more effective development of the other resources and, hopefully, ley would inject at least as much into the economy of the region."

The Minister said that 15 per cent of New Zealand’s apricot production would be lost but with the co-operation of orchardists this loss could be made up

elsewhere. Mr McCahon said: “The possibility of replacing the produce of land to be flooded neglects the major issue; such expansion of apricot production elsewhere could be stimulated, in any case, and be an addition to present production. The plan to flood the Cromwell Gorge destroys for ever 230 hectares of high grade horticultural soil with a unique climate, for the sake of perhaps 50 years of power production before the lake silts up.

“In addition, as Mr Gair stated, a high dam at the D.G. 3 site would inundate more than 2000 hectares of productive soil, much of it suitable for horticultural use. This would be true also of the alternative D.G. 7 dam of Scheme H. He estimated a total of 17,150 hectares of Central Otago as suitable for irrigation, and claimed a net gain of over 14,000 hectares as though it all depended on building the high dam. Actually much of this land is already irrigated and the irrigation of the rest would not be dependent on the building of a power scheme,” said Mr McCahon.