Save the Waitaha

The Waitaha River flows through publicly owned conservation land – yet the Fast- track Act prevents the public from having any say on a proposed development that would destroy it. By Lynley Hargreaves.

Consents for a hydro scheme on the West Coast's Waitaha River are being considered under the government's fast-track approval process with no community input.

The fast-track panel considering the application refused to invite any community groups to comment on the scheme's environmental impact – ignoring the Department of Conservation's advice that such input would be necessary for the panel to make an informed decision.

The lack of public voice in the decision-making process is particularly worrying because the applicant, Westpower, is seeking what could be an illegally long concession period – 64 years in total.

"The Waitaha is one of the last remaining wild rivers of Aotearoa. It flows through public conservation land, and New Zealanders deserve to have a say on its future," said Nicky Snoyink, Forest & Bird's West Coast regional conservation manager.

"The proposal would involve building a concrete weir across the river, essentially dewatering the spectacular Morgan Gorge, and impacting the habitat of numerous endangered species."

More than 3000 people submitted against a previous proposal for the scheme, which was declined in 2019 by then Minister for the Environment David Parker because of its impact on the river's outstanding natural values.

Six years later, the zombie scheme was accepted into the fast-track process, which has far weaker environmental protections and significantly limits public participation.

Westpower has asked for a 15-year "construction phase" concession plus a 49-year operational concession on the Waitaha River.

Together, this amounts to 64 years, exceeding the Conservation Act's maximum allowable concession term of 30 years – or, if the fast-track panel is satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances, 60 years.

The New Zealand Conservation Authority (NZCA) noted that Westpower had provided no justification for seeking a 49-year operating term. The Authority found the scheme inconsistent with core conservation policies and strongly recommended the project should not proceed.

"If approved, the company would have 15 years to construct the hydro scheme," said Nicky. "The current government will be long out of office before it starts delivering its first kilowatt of electricity – possibly not until 2040.

"A project with such a long lead in is not in keeping with the Fast-track Approvals Act's intent and purpose of rapidly delivering critical infrastructure and boosting economic growth.

"We agree with the NZCA that the project should not be granted. If it is granted, there are no exceptional circumstances that justify a term longer than 30 years."

Forest & Bird board member Eugenie Sage was conservation minister when Westpower's first application was turned down six years ago.

"Westpower's proposed fast-track hydro scheme would wreck the Waitaha River and lock in damage to one of Aotearoa New Zealand's last wild rivers for decades to come," she said of the latest proposal.

"The Waitaha and our public protected lands deserve so much better than being dynamited and bulldozed."

The fast-track panel's decision is expected in April 2026.