DOC and Greens protest poor Mokihinui process

The Green Party today lodged a formal complaint to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment about the hearings process for the proposed Mokihinui hydro dam.

This follows a memo to the hearings committee from the Department of Conservation, published yesterday, formally protesting at the committee process.

“Environment groups and the Department of Conservation are being obstructed in their attempts to act in the interest of all New Zealanders in defending the conservation values of the pristine Mokihinui River.”

“I am disappointed that on such a hugely significant application, to dam one of New Zealand’s most precious wild rivers, the Councils’ hearings committee is running roughshod over the process,” said Green Party Conservation Spokesperson Metiria Turei.

Hearings on the resource consent applications began in October 2008. In December, Meridian presented substantial extra evidence. Under protest, just two weeks was given for other submitters to respond.

Today the hearing reconvenes in Westport and Meridian has presented a further 400 pages of evidence, much of it new. Other submitters have had only a matter of days to read and respond to this new and complex evidence.

The Department of Conservation protests: “The Department wishes to record, in the strongest terms possible, its view that, the filing of 450 pages of further evidence by Meridian, has seriously undermined the integrity of the hearings process.”

DOC goes on to state that “the Department’s continued engagement in this hearing process will be under protest”.

Mrs Turei has declined to appear at the reconvened hearing today in protest and has lodged a complaint with the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment