New councillors supported by a ‘growers action group’ are vowing to review public consultation on the scheme; they want assurance it will bring economic benefit and “not a long term ratepayer debt”.
One new councillor, former Pipfruit NZ chief executive Peter Beaven, told Rural News the public lacks confidence in the scheme and its planning process. “There are conflicts of interest that haven’t been properly dealt with by the regional council until now and there is lack of information and communication about the project. Some people are quite disaffected by that…. We need to look at the process and make sure we get to the end of it much better.”
Beaven says while he’s not opposed to the dam as such, he wants the council to give people opportunity and information to make them feel this is good idea. “There needs to be good public consultation and I’m worried that only two months has been allowed for that process; two months is starting to look like a very short time to me.”
Beaven says transparency is a major issue. And conflicts of interest – councillors being on the Ruataniwha feasibility committee and also believing they can vote on the proposal – must be addressed. These councillors cannot be both prosecutor and jury, he says.
Beaven claims water rights for farming and horticulture have been badly managed by HBRC and the right to farm severely compromised. “This must change.”
The Ruataniwha scheme continues to be in news headlines especially over the submission made by the Department of Conservation. The political ructions over the role Conservation Minister Nick Smith played in the submission by his department were the focus of attention last week in Parliament. (See story page 20.)
