Save the Wairau River Inc. (STWR) is a incorporated society with charitable status. It is currently engaged in a struggle to save the
Wairau
River from a proposed hydroelectric scheme that will divert sixty percent of its flow into a wide ditch designed to feed five power stations. The scheme is set to destroy one of New Zealand’s major braided river eco-systems.
Save the Wairau’s opponent is TrustPower, a power retailer and generator owned by a large international corporate, Infratil Ltd. This proposal, which might, at best, generate no more than enough electricity to meet New Zealand’s’ average growth in power demand over a six-month period, is currently being processed under the government’s Resource Management Act (RMA.)
As at September 2007, TrustPower’s application has passed the initial hearing process at the local government level and received a provisional go-ahead. This decision is now being appealed by outraged conservationists. These include Save the Wairau and the Government’s own Department of Conservation.
It will take about a year before the case is heard before the national
Environment Court. In the meantime Save the Wairau is working to mobilise public opinion and raise the considerable sum of money (approx NZ$150,000) it requires to fight the case and save the river. If we lose this case, we can expect many other rivers to suffer a similar fate. It is the easy option for corporates, if the law can be persuaded to indulge them, to seek to extract the maximum profit out of outdated technologies before investing in more modern and more eco-friendly alternatives.
If you care about the future of an iconic landscape and the flora and fauna dependent on its survival, we invite you to join us in our struggle. Please visit our Website at www.savethewairau.co.nz and see how you can contribute.
Black Fronted Tern. Size 29cm and approx. 80 grams.
Often seen feeding along rivers and on farmland and if necessary during winter will feed far out to sea.
Only 500 pairs of these birds exist and are only found in New Zealand.
Branch tailrace flow – the circled braids are from the existing Branch tailrace and are known at 20 m3/second on that day. The main river is flowing at the mean flow of 70m3/sec.as measured at Tuamarina gauge. The tailrace flow as circled will be the size of the Wairau at that point if the scheme goes ahead!
This aerial photo graphically illustrates a typical braided river network of ever changing channels and islands. On a world scale braided river beds are scarce but are prominent in Marlborough and Canterbury. The only time the riverbed is covered is when in flood. Flora and fauna have adapted to living on these riverbeds but are under threat or endangered. If the factors that threaten this enviroment are removed they will become EXTINCT. It is the home of the endangered Black Fronted Tern (Sterna albostriata) and Wrybil (Anarbnchus frontalis) which are classified as threatened species.
The significance of this habitat to such unique species makes braided rivers important on a national and international scale.
This painting by Don Binney one of New Zealands best known bird artists gave the proceeds from sale to Save the Wairau. He also very kindly gave permission to use this picture on tee shirts and cards.
The Wairau is the habitat of the endangered native dwarf galaxia fish and other native fish. This habitat will be damaged by the proposed scheme, so threatening the survival of these fish.