Ruataniwha’s failure to attract any private funding a red flag

The Green Party is again calling on ACC not to throw good money after bad by investing public money in the hugely controversial Ruataniwha Dam, which will be a disaster for the Hawke’s Bay environment.

Local community groups, supported by Greenpeace, are protesting the Ruataniwha dam today highlighting the massive environmental destruction the proposed dam will have on the Makaroro,Waipawa, and Tukituki rivers. The $333 million dam has so far failed to secure any private investment and could end up relying fully on public funding from ratepayers and tax payers, including ACC.

“The case for the Ruataniwha Dam doesn’t stack up economically or environmentally, and ACC shouldn’t be investing New Zealanders’ money into it when private investors won’t,” Green Party water spokesperson Catherine Delahunty said.

“This dam should not be entirely funded by public money while the benefits of it will go to private users.

“Why should New Zealanders risk their own money to build a $333 million dam, that’ll lead to more pollution in one of the Hawke’s Bay’s most beautiful rivers?

“This irrigation scheme will pour millions of litres of agricultural pollution back into the rivers in the Ruataniwha catchment.

“Destroying precious rivers for short-term gain is not a good economics,” said Ms Delahunty

Latest Environment Announcements

Story

NZ needs strong protection against water privatisation

New Zealanders deserve strong protection against the future privatisation of water assets, the Green Party says.
Read More

Story

Nature missing in RMA reform

The Government has missed a crucial opportunity to redesign the resource management system with climate and nature at its heart. 
Read More

Story

Report shows reducing actual farming emissions vital

Evidence shows that relying on offsets to reduce agriculture’s impact on the climate will not work, the Green Party says.
Read More

Story

Budget 2022: Greens call for urgency with nature-first climate investments

Budget 2022 shows progress on conservation commitments in the Green Party’s cooperation agreement Green Party achievements in the last Government ...
Read More

Story

Nature needs us to act right now

The Green Party welcomes the release of the implementation plan for Te Mana o te Taiao Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy and calls on the ...
Read More

Story

Urgent action needed to bring natural environment back from the brink

The release today of Environment Aotearoa 2022 is a sobering reminder of what is at stake if the Government does not step up and take urgent action...
Read More

Latest Water Announcements

Story

Changes needed to three waters plans

Greater local oversight and control, seven instead of four entities, stormwater staying with councils, and stronger safeguards against privatisatio...
Read More

Story

National reckless on rivers

The opposition’s dangerous plan to scrap rules to improve the health of rivers and lakes around Aotearoa highlights the importance of having a stro...
Read More

Clean Water

From the maunga to moana, water is a taonga which must be protected, but too many rivers, lakes, and wetlands have been polluted over the years, an...
Read More

Story

Strongest ever water reforms mean swimmable rivers within a generation

The Green Party says major freshwater reforms announced today provide the strongest ever protections of our waterways, to help ensure the next gene...
Read More

Story

Flood of support for Top of the South catchment

Work to look after nature and restore freshwater quality in Te Hoiere/Pelorus River catchment is getting a significant boost, thanks to new Governm...
Read More

Story

OIA reforms mean more attention to nature and cultural values

The Green Party welcome proposed changes to the Overseas Investment Act (OIA) that will see stronger controls on applications by overseas interests...
Read More