Energy use ‘threat to tourist area’

Press, 8 September 1982, Page 6

Energy use ‘threat to tourist area’

Parliamentary reporter

One of New Zealand's main tourist attractions," the Whakarewarewa geothermal area in Rotorua, faces possible .disaster from uncontrolled ' energy development. This is the conclusion reached in a review of the role of geothermal resources in New Zealand, undertaken by the Oil and Gas Division of the Ministry of Energy. It blamed the withdrawal of fluid to supply domestic and commercial heating in Rotorua. Assuming a decline in surface geothermal activity to such an extent that it was no longer a significant tourist attraction: New Zealand stood to lose a significant proportion of potential visitors who were interested mainly in New Zealand’s thermal activity. The potential loss from this could be as much as $l6O million a .year, said the review.

On top of this, the potential for an increase in visitor numbers of 230,000 over the next 10 years, and the corresponding increase in overseas earnings of $230 million a year, would be severely affected. The loss in potential could be as much as a third — up to $7O million a year. It also meant that the 10,000 present jobs and 5000 potential jobs in the tourist industry would be lost.

The Minister of Energy, Mr Birch, agreed that the future, of New Zealand’s geothermal resources could depend on the review. Planning guidelines proposed by the review could form the basis of a national policy on the future management of the geothermal system.

Mr Birch invited interested parties to submit to the Secretary of Energy in Wellington their comments on the review and the issues raised.