Fishing News index>August 2007

URGENT CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

WAINGONGORO RIVER - NORMANBY HYDRO SCHEME REINSTATEMENT

Resource consent applications by Normanby Power Ltd. to reinstate the Normanby hydro scheme on the Waingongoro River in South Taranaki were advertised by the Taranaki Regional Council on 18th August with the submission period closing at 4pm on Friday 14th September 2007.

Normanby Power intend to use the Normanby weir, located upstream of Normanby Road Bridge, to divert up to 10 cumecs of water through the old power scheme tunnel to generate electricity.  This is likely to have a serious adverse effect on the Waingongoro River trout fishery, which is the most popular fishery on the Taranaki ringplain.  Fish and Game NZ (Taranaki Region) is opposing the granting of consents, but needs your support.  Please make a submission in opposition to the scheme by going to www.trc.govt.nz.  Copies of the public notice are available at http://www.trc.govt.nz/council/publicnotices.htm#normanby_power with a submission form (Form 13) available at http://www.trc.govt.nz/resource+consents/applying/pdf/notice+submission.pdf.  Please fax (06 757 5097) or send (Private Bag 713 Stratford) your submission to the Taranaki Regional Council by 14th September.

Reinstatement of the Normanby power scheme will result in a 3.1km section of river below the diversion weir  and the power station outlet (the Normanby Loop) having a residual flow of 2 cumecs (cubic metres per second) or less, for 87.5% of the time.  Flows in the loop will rise above 2 cumecs only when the river flow exceeds 12 cumecs.  The Normanby loop is the most popular angling section on the river and the loss of flow will reduce the available habitat for trout and their invertebrate food supplies.  Excessive sedimentation and algal growth as a result of the regulated flow regime will adversely affect the ecology and aesthetics of the reach, which will hold fewer trout than it does now and be less attractive for angling.

In addition:
• Flow fluctuations (surges and flow reductions) will occur in the 16km of the Waingongoro River downstream of the power station outlet as a result of turbine startups and shutdowns.  For example, when the power station shuts down suddenly a flow reduction will occur that will only be restored when water has traveled over the weir and round the 3.1km loop, a period of around 1.5 hours;
• Since the original power scheme was abandoned in 1967, some 250,000 - 500,000 cubic metres of silt have accumulated in the river upstream of the weir.  To reinstate the scheme, Normanby Power wishes to open the sluice gate in the weir and flush up to 150 tonnes of silt (90 m3) into the river downstream, which will have a significant adverse effect on aquatic life.  Then it wants to excavate some 2,400m3 of silt from the area immediately around the intake tunnel entrance.  There is a concern that once the power station starts operating, this will result in the progressive re-grading and mobilization of the large volumes of silt deposited further upstream, resulting in the river running dirty for months.

Fish and Game NZ urges anglers to oppose the reinstatement of this scheme on the grounds that adverse effects on the trout fishery will be unacceptable.