Introduction

Where to after the last river has been dammed?

Wild rivers are not renewable. New Zealand’s remaining wild rivers must be protected for future generations as national treasures.
  • Wild rivers need the same protection as national parks.
  • New Zealand’s energy future does not need to sacrifice our remaining wild rivers.
  • Wild rivers are free to be enjoyed by everyone.
  • New Zealanders are passionate about wild rivers, which are central to our national identity and  international reputation.

Petition

To:  The New Zealand House of Representatives

We, the undersigned:

  1. Are unhappy that New Zealand’s remaining wild rivers are still being threatened with destruction by hydro-electric development;
  2. Do not believe that damming these rivers is a wise or sustainable use of natural resources. These rivers are a precious and wonderful heritage, and when one is destroyed some vital part of New Zealand dies. If we sacrifice them to the demands of industry and frantic consumerism then we lose far more than we gain;
  3. Understand how hard it is to change attitudes and a whole culture of energy use. But we need to start treating our energy as a precious resource.

Therefore we ask you to do everything in your power:

  1. To educate all New Zealanders about the social and environmental costs of their electricity use, promote the efficient use of power, and discourage unnecessary power consumption all the year round, and not just when shortages loom;
  2. To provide incentives to consumers to reduce their power use;
  3. Urgently to study and develop alternative means of electricity generation;
  4. Emphasise the generation and administration of electricity as a public good rather than a means of generating profits for state-owned or privately-owned corporations’;
  5. In short, to help our nation to become one which lives happily together in harmony with the earth, and not sacrificing our natural heritage for short-sighted gains.

Sincerely,

Sign Petition (NZ Residents)

(Non-NZ Residents please Click Here)

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Latest News

WCO Applied for on Upper Hurunui River

An application for a Water Conservation Order was lodged on August 30 by Fish & Game and the New Zealand Recreational Canoeing Association.

The application is mostly focused on the Upper Hurunui River and lakes which are presently unaffected by dams or water takes. The application aims to preserve the natural condition of these waters.

 

Damn The Dam

Damn The Dam - John Hanlon (mp3 2.7MB) [Right-click and "Save Link As ..." to download]

Wild Rivers Action Project

Wild rivers action project WRAP has been formed by a group of individuals concerned at the incremental degradation of NZ’s wild rivers by hydro-electric development. WRAP acknowledges the essential nature of adequate elecricity supply in civilisation as we know it. WRAP seeks to change the way in which electricity is regarded by society. The continuing growth of electrical energy demand cannot be met without increasingly onerous biological, physical,& aesthetic demands on our environment. WRAP contends that a reliable adequate electricity supply should be regarded as a priviledge rather than as at present, an infinite resource we have a right to squander at will.

Articles

Ninety percent (90%) renewable energy by 2025 is the target for New Zealand

Focus is more generation through large projects, such as hydro, to meet this target. Continuing to convert our natural heritage into energy generation to fuel our consuming society, is not sustainable. Energy Minister's Address

Suppressed Landcare Report

Calculating Biodiversity Offsets for the Mokihinui Hydro Proposal. Prepared by Landcare on behalf of Meridian Energy. Download (2.87MB pdf)

Our fate is the Earth's fate - David Round

The National Party has just released its energy policy. Electricity being fundamental to modern life, National considers insecurity of supply to be intolerable. It is intolerable that we semi-regularly escape critical supply shortages by the skin of our teeth. National will therefore abandon Labour's 10-year moratorium on building fossil fuel power plants for "baseload generation". There will be planning for future demand. The Resource Management Act will be amended. National still supports an emissions trading scheme and a target of generating 90 per cent of power by renewable means, but will not allow that target to impede security of supply.

Read full article

The Press (press.co.nz), August 28, 2008

Proposed National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation

NPS for Renewable Electricity Generation (PDF, 128 KB) Evaluation of the NPS for Renewable Electricity Generation. Click Here (PDF, 522KB) The Evaluation Report, when referring to the consent process, states: "A regulatory regime that does not clearly articulate the national significance of the benefits of renewable electricity generation will perpetuate the problems faced by applicants and decision-makers in relation to renewable electricity generation projects" Which basically translates to - "stuff the environment" ! 

Forest and Bird Interview Fresh FM

Duncan Eddy (Fresh FM Nelson) talks Debs Martin about Forest and Birds opposition to Merridian Energy's proposal to dam the West Coasts Mohikinui River 21 May 05 (14 mins). (Note: To download right-click and choose 'Save Link As ...') Download (5.6MB mp3)  Fresh FM Downloads

DOC River Ranking

DOC's classification of New Zealand's important rivers. Download (475.46 KB pdf)

Renewable Sources

Availabilities and Costs of Renewable Sources of Energy for Generating Electricity and Heat 2005 Edition Prepared for Ministry of Economic Development. Download (2.25MB pdf)