The politics of Manapouri

Forest and Bird, Issue 198, 1 November 1975, Page 11

The politics of Manapouri

THOUGH agitation over the proposed interference with the levels of Lake Manapouri and Lake Te Anau has now subsided, the Society is well aware that the threat of mutilation of the lakes still exists. With the approach of the General Election, this important issue, which aroused a peak of fervour 4 years ago, needs reviewing. In the following article R. C. Nelson, former president of the Society and protagonist in the struggle to preserve the lakes, looks back at the events which led up to the Save Manapouri campaign and the Society’s presentation of New Zealand’s biggest petition to Parliament.

SURROUNDED by splendid native bush, Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau are part of Fiordland National Park and are world famous for their natural

beauty. Lake Manapouri is about 55 square miles in area, 1458 ft deep, and studded with delightful small islands, many, of which have unique botanical features through being unmodified.

Lake Te Anau, which feeds its waters into Manapouri, is about 134 square miles in area and 906 ft deep.

The first hint that these magnificent lakes were threatened came in July 1956, when Mr A. E. Davenport, then general manager of the New Zealand Electricity Department, in an address indicated that Manapouri would be a suitable place for a hydroelectric plant.

Public disquiet

In May 1959 geologists of the Consolidated Zinc Company, of Australia, were investigating Fiordland National Park for hydro-electric power purposes. There was much public disquiet, and the Government convened a scenery preservation meeting in Parliament Buildings in November 1959, to which I presented a

three-page submission on behalf of the Society. Eight weeks later, in January 1960, the Consolidated

Zinc Company were discussing the possibility of using Manapouri for hydro-electric power purposes to supply an aluminium smelter.

Shortly after, the Crown signed an agreement with the

Consolidated Zinc Company whereby the two lakes were virtually passed over to a commercial organisation. The company was empowered to conduct surveys which would result in the raising of Manapouri 90 ft to bring it level with Te Anau and to raise Te Anau to any point which would not inundate the township of Te Anau. In times of drought the lakes, with the Minister’s concurrence, could be lowered by the company to below natural levels, which would result in miles of stinking mud flats being exposed.

Knowing that the agreement had to be validated in law and being horrified by the catastrophe which threatened Fiordland National Park, the Society immediately organised a petition to Parliament which received nearly 25 000 signatures; this requested that for the reasons given in our submission Parliament should not validate the agreement. The Government, however, through the Manapouri-Te Anau Development Act 1960 did validate the agreement.

Joint petition

In the next 3 years the Society and the Scenery Preservation Society continued to press for a definite undertaking that the levels of the lakes would not be altered and presented a joint petition to Parliament in 1963.

In July 1966 the Minister of Electricity announced that the level of Lake Manapouri would possibly be raised to 610 or 620 ft above sea level,

the normal level being 582| ft, but we were still assured that no definite decision to raise the levels of the lakes had been made. After hearing an address by a local Member of Parliament and a representative of the New Zealand Electricity Department on 30 October 1969 a crowded meeting in Invercargill vociferously left no doubt that it was bitterly opposed to the plans for raising the levels of the lakes, and a Save Manapouri committee, with branches throughout New Zealand, was formed as a

result. At this meeting it was learnt for the first time that the Government had committed itself to supplying to Comalco all the power that the lakes could produce with levels raised, with the exception of two 100megawatt Crown blocks reserved for the Government’s own requirements; but even these two blocks were promised to Comalco after 1986 if the Government could by any means surrender them to

the company.

In view of the uncertainty of the Government’s commitments the Society engaged a legal firm to ascertain just what these commitments were. Commission of Inquiry Because of the public concern over the whole situation a Commission of Inquiry into the Lake Manapouri raising proposals was duly set up and sat from 3 June to 2 September 1970 in Wellington and Invercargill. Evidence was submitted by Comalco, by seven Government Departments, by 28 other organisations, and by 26 private individuals. I appeared on behalf

of the Society, with Mr F. O’Flynn, Q.C., as counsel. The report was presented to Parliament on 2 October 1970. In it the Commission found that the Crown was contractually bound to raise the level of Lake Manapouri to 610 ft and possibly to 620 ft, but it expressed the opinion that as long as the power forfeited by not raising the lake level was supplied from any other source at the same rate, the company would suffer no monetary loss and would not have a case for legal action.

Public agitation at this time was so intense that, in collaboration with the Save Manapouri committee and other organisations concerned, the Society organised a further petition, praying that the waters of Lake Manapouri should not be raised beyond normal levels. This was presented to the House of Representatives on 9 June 1971 with 264 907 signatures — the largest petition ever raised in New Zealand.

Select committee’s report The select committee considering the petition reported to the House as follows: “The Manapouri Petition Committee has carefully considered this petition and has recommended that it be referred to the Government for favourable consideration, and that (a) .Any dam constructed at Mararoa to control the level of Lake Manapouri be so constructed as to ensure that at this stage the lake is not raised above its natural levels;

(b) The Mararoa dam be so constructed as to permit, if necessary in the future, the raising of the lake beyond its natural levels; and (c) Any provision for the raising of the lake above natural levels in the future should not be undertaken without the authority of Parliament.” After the change of Government in 1972 the new Government, keeping a promise made during the election, decided that the high dam planned for Manapouri would not be built and that therefore the expensive foundations for a high dam at the confluence of the Mararoa and the Waiau Rivers would not be needed.

The foregoing is a brief description of negotiations which have taken place over the past 16 years. Many thousands of sheets have been written by various bodies and those opposed to the plans to raise the level of the lakes and by others concerned with surveys and the like.

To touch on all of this would require a large volume, but I have tried to indicate the extent of public concern and of our anxiety. Notwithstanding the present power situation, under no circumstances should any further consideration be given to raising the lake levels for the very small amount of extra electricity such an act of legalised vandalism would produce.

Members can be assured that there will be no relaxation in the fight to preserve Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau.

Seasonal greetings

Greetings to all for the Festive Season.

May you enjoy the great outdoors and appreciate the wonderful works of the Creator.

Wherever you go—in camping sites, picnic spots, or trips into the bush —try to leave the area you visit a little better than how you found it.

Remember: Always make sure your fire is out when you leave your site. Double check and always douse it with water if possible.