Motu River evaluation

Press, 4 February 1982, Page 11

Motu River evaluation

PA Wellington The Ministry of Works has given approval for limited hydro investigations on the East Cape’s Motu River, two months before new protective rivers legislation comes into force. The Minister of Works and Development (Mr Quigley) said that "geological evaluation ’ of the river could begin but "engineering investigations" would not go ahead at this stage. Water rights for hydro investigations on the Motu. one

i of New Zealand’s premier ; scenic and canoeing rivers, I were granted this week by i the National Water and Soil i Conservation Authority. Earlier Mr Quigley had ' assured environmental . groups that no engineering investigations would be ' undertaken on the Motu. until the outcome of an ex--1 pected conservation order ’ was known. Asked by authority members at the meeting to clars ify the type of work if the

water right was granted. Mr Quigley said it was a matter of how one interpreted “engineering investigations.” He did not expect bulldozers to be building tracks through the bush. The soil and water director, Mr Warren Gibson, suggested that while geological evaluation could mean drilling of very narrow holes in rock, engineering excavations involved putting in access roads for heavier machinery. Asked after the meeting about “engineering aspects" listed in a Ministry of Works report oh its proposed investigations, Mr Quigley said he did not foresee these going ahead at this stage.

He said the authority had made its decision which would now be referred to him for action as he thought appropriate. The Motu has been under investigation as a potential hydro-electricity source for 20 years though it is not included in the Ministry of Energy’s present 15-year power planning programme. The Ministry of Works and Development applied for water rights for power investigation in 1979 and these were granted but successfully appealed when it was discovered that map references used were incorrect.

The Ministry made a new application in March last year and this was considered by the East Cape Catchment Board in September. During the hearing, the Commissioner for the Environment indicated that he intended to apply for a conservation order protecting the Motu as soon as the new rivers laws came into effect on April 1 this year. The Environmental Defence Society and the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust asked for deferral of a decision until the river’s status under the new legislation was established. However, the Catchment Board gave qualified approval to the application which then went to the Water Resources Council which recommended granting the right, subject to special conditions.