Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC) is calling for the permanent protection of the Waitaha River in a joint open letter sent on 14 April 2026. FMC has co-signed an open letter with Forest & Bird, Greenpeace, NZ Canyoning Association, Buller Tramping Club, and former Whitewater NZ President Kev England, urging Ministers to protect the Waitaha River in the Morgan Gorge – one of New Zealand’s last pristine wild river gorges.
The letter follows draft approval of Westpower’s fast-track application to build a 23-megawatt hydro scheme in the largely untouched river, calling on Ministers to reconsider the decision given the severe threats to the area’s ecological and recreational values.
The scheme was previously declined in 2019 by then Labour Environment Minister David Parker, who cited severe and permanent damage to the river’s conservation values.
The letter said “recent draft decision acknowledges that effects on Morgan Gorge and Kiwi Flat will remain “high” (significant) even once all the mitigation measures are applied (page 15 of the draft decision). This is not a claim made by opponents of the scheme, but was stated by the applicant and acknowledged by the Panel. The Panel has decided that these significant effects are localised. We respectfully and firmly disagree with that conclusion. Significant and permanent harm to a wild river gorge on public conservation land is precisely the kind of outcome that should be prevented.”
“By virtue of its intactness, the catchment provides undisturbed habitat for many at-risk and threatened native animals, including the nationally critical long tailed bat/Pekapeka-tou-roa and the nationally vulnerable blue duck/whio.”
The letter went to PM Christopher Luxon, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka, Ministers Chris Bishop, Louise Upston and Hon Maureen Pugh CC and the Waitaha Hydro Expert Panel.
It is sad to see the wholesale rush to exploit the environment spearheaded by Minister Shane Jones and Chris bishop. It’s reminiscent of the Rob Muldoon /Bill Birch National Development push of the 1980s – disastrous and short sighted.
Conservation minister Potaka has been very low key. Is he a champion for the environment?
To appoint a person like that to this important portfolio shows government’s disinterest in the environment, but then so does the Fast Track Approvals Act and particularly so does the eradication of the Ministry for the Environment, even given it’s low key, lack-lustre performance.
It would be far better to revitalise both the Ministry for the Environment and also DoC by a searching enquiry, bureaucrat cull and a new, energetic culture. DoC have been obsessed with its poison programme, ecologically damaging and wasteful of public money – $3 million an aerial drop?
Full marks to FMC and associated bodies fior tackling government front on. It is after all, election year. They might listen!
23 megawatts is peanuts in power terms compared to the permanent damage to the gorge. There’s plenty of other ways to generate power on the West Cost without causing such damage.
If we are talking of electricity supply, the solution is obvious. Stop giving the Bluff smelter electricity at highly discounted rates. Leave the Waitaha and other rivers.
I recently listened to Barnaby Joyce explaining how communism evolves, Labour definitely, the Nats the same but a different approach, it starts with division, no different than the Muslim ideology.
My point is, these people are trained in ways of breaking down and eventually taking away all of our rights, in our case, the one thing that Kiwis love is the outdoors, so the environment doesn’t mean a thing, it’s only a tool for politicians to control us with, back in the day politicians were the brightest minds working for the people, the difference today, is that they want to have total control over us.
Our rivers will only be something you’ll only remember from a photograph, there bulldozers are always going to be bigger than ours.