Six Hawke’s Bay projects made the Government’s controversial fast-track list.
At the moment, these are yet to be actually written into the pending fast-track legislation, due to be reported out of committee this month. But there’s little doubt they will be.
Without getting too much into the serious concerns about the legislation and its path to date, here is simply a bit of description of the individual projects. Quote marks below denote the official project description per the Government’s lising.
Waihi Hydroelectric Power – the project applicant is Eastland Generation Ltd, 50% owned by Japan’s Obayashi Corporation.
“The Waihi Hydroelectric Power Scheme Reconsenting project is to continue the use, operations and maintenance of the hydro scheme. The scheme will maintain the existing connection and supply of electricity to the national grid.”
The plant catchment stretches up to the Panekiri range in the Te Urewera National Park. Its reservoir is 5.2km in length, with an area of 42 hectares holding almost two million cubic metres of water. Water is channeled to the powerhouse below the dam on the Waiau River. The powerhouse contains two 2.5MW turbines and supplies electricity into the local Wairoa network.
Would not appear to be contentious.
Napier water infrastructure – the project applicant is the Napier City Council.
“The project is to increase the capacity at existing bore field sites to improve supply, quality and resilience of the municipal water network and will comprise: Drilling up to three new bores at each site (one each as contingency), to deliver up to 500 litres per second at each site; decommissioning existing bores and improvements to the water treatment plants.”
Would not appear to be contentious.
Ahuriri Station – the project applicant is Mana Ahuriri Holdings Limited Partnership, wholly owned subsidiary and commercial holdings company of Mana Ahuriri Trust, the post Treaty Settlement entity for Mana Ahuriri.
“The project will develop an integrated resilient Green Communities commercial and industrial business park (circa 380 hectares), 1,000 plus houses as an extension to Bayview, the creation of ecological parks, and the preservation and enhancement of key cultural landmarks and features, connected to the regional airport, port and state highway and rail corridor.”
Of interest is the fact that this sizable project involving 1,000 new homes has not been included in the Napier-Hastings Development Strategy, which after a lengthy study and review process – intended to specify areas carefully selected and recommended for development – was slated for public consultation this year (now postponed to 2025). Why not?
In this case, the fast-track process by-passes a joint council undertaking (including also the HB Regional Council) to come up with the best possible priorities and plans for housing and industrial development in our central region … making that process seem like a waste of effort.
Arataki housing development – the applicant is CDL Land NZ, the same folks developing the former Lowe family land off Iona Road in Havelock North.
“The Arataki project is to develop and deliver a residential subdivision capable of yielding between approximately 157 – 202 residential units of varying densities and typologies, with associated parks/walkways, roading and 3 waters infrastructure on approximately 11 hectares of land at Arataki (Havelock North).”
Unlike the Ahuriri situation above, the Napier-Hastings Development Strategy has at least identified the Arataki and Brookvale Roads area as suitable for greenfield development. But as noted, that strategy is still to go through a normal public consultation process.
So, in this case, with HDC having confirmed to BayBuzz that the fast-track application deals with the developments anticipated in the Strategy, the main effect of fast-tracking would be to effectively pre-empt public challenge to the project.
Hawke’s Bay Expressway – the applicant is NZ Transport Agency.
“To develop an efficient and reliable connection between Napier and Hastings, that also improves resilience, capacity and safety. An additional lane will be added in each direction over 24km to create four lanes within the existing state highway corridor. It includes 3-5 interchanges and 3-4 bridge upgrades between Watchman Road and Pakipaki.”
This project is seen as a budgeted fait accompli, despite critics questioning its deleterious effects in terms of fueling the region’s transport emissions.
Tukituki Water Security Project – the applicant is Tukituki Water Security Project, a re-casting of the Water Holdings HB group that already holds consents for the ill-fated Ruataniwha Dam.
“Formerly known as the Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme, the project seeks to dam the Makaroro River to recreate a water storage reservoir, to enable regional water security and sustainability.”
This is a retread of the original dam proposal. Consents for that dam (with environmental and other conditions) are set to expire in mid-2025. As with the other listed projects, the fast-track process would empower an Expert Panel to reject or approve the project, in this case perhaps changing existing consent conditions, with very limited public engagement. Most importantly, for the Dam project to have any chance of proceeding, the Panel would need to endorse a DoC conservation land transfer previously blocked by the Supreme Court.
Most would agree this project is the most controversial of the six.
The review process
The fast-track legislation is expressly designed to: 1) give clear priority to economic development, and 2) sharply limit consultation on the merits of projects listed.
The Expert Panels appointed to consider each project have total control over who they invite for views and advice. The law will stipulate that as far as the public is concerned, only those directly affected by the project would have a right to be heard. In other words, if your home is literally next door to a proposed housing development, you have a right to be heard; if you’re simply a local resident concerned about, say, excessive traffic or impact on schools, you’re out of luck. If a dam-created reservoir would flood your property, you have a right to be heard. If you are Forest & Bird concerned about the dam’s environmental impact, you’re out of luck.
The Government is making no secret of its determination to see its selected projects proceed with the least possible ‘obstruction’.
Ultimately the various Expert Panels are fully empowered to make the final go/no-go decisions. Our pertinent councils get a seat on the relevant Panels and therefore an inside opportunity to press their views; but they have no power to overturn a Panel’s decision.
It will be 2025 before the Panels needed to review 149 fast-track are appointed, and then go about their business. Minister Chris Bishop recently indicated early February as when the Environmental Protection Authority would be ready to receive applications.
Stay tuned!
Fast Track / friends of Government whatever it’s called – what a rort – certainly some of these could be considered as important , but at what cost. Good land disappearing under roads and housing subdivisions, water siphoned off to supply a couple of dairy farmers at the expense of the local householders/ratepayers, and all without consultation of any note. This all sounds like Mr Putin has opened a branch office in Wellington’s Beehive – where’s our local MP’s jumping up and down expressing concern for our region?
Come on Grant: The land is already underneath roads – widening them by 2.5 metres is not going to require any extra land take.
Water siphoning is not for dairy farmers -they have enough troubles meeting their newly-legislated fresh water runoff targets. So there’s no more dairy going into this land. Fruit? Vegetables? Wine? Isn’t this what we’re good at?
Hawke’s Bay Expressway – are 4 lanes needed all the way to the airport? Does the road even get congested north of Taradale Rd or Prebensen Drive? Imagine two extra lanes tagged on across Ahuriri Estuary/Te Whanganui a Orotu. They would cross sensitive areas of importance to the estuary’s wildlife, particularly migratory birds: The Scrapes where the migratory birds roost twice daily at high tide, and/or between the two bridges (Expressway and historic Embankment bridge) where ‘at risk’ native plants are currently being researched and protected. When Waka Kotahi first built the Expressway across the estuary, they promised a full span bridge for the least detriment to the estuary. At the last minute, to save money and without consultation, they filled in the land half way across, and put narrow tunnels through it. This has lessened the water flow to the Upper Estuary by one third I am told. We don’t need another threat on the health of the estuary or its wildlife. It’s a Nationally-Significant Wildlife Refuge, and is the largest estuary on this part of the East Coast. It is unusual for its vicinity to a city. We need to protect it for the well-being of the water, the 70 species of birds, the nursery for ocean fish, the macro-invertebrates that feed them all, it’s historical and cultural importance, and the well-being of all who enjoy it.
Thank you Angie Denby, this is very useful information. Katie Nimon, I hope you are taking note!
Grant, I’ll tell you what one of our local MP’s is doing. Katie Nimon sits on the (so called) Environment Committee that is pushing this Fast-track legislation!