Freshwater campaigners say Wairarapa iwi Rangitāne o Wairarapa statement released today highlighting their concerns around Wairarapa Water Ltd’s “rushed time frames and incorrect information” is an important warning bell for the public and politicians.

“We support Rangitāne o Wairarapa in raising their concerns around Wairarapa Water Ltd’s bad science and poor process.,” says Choose Clean Water spokesperson Marnie Prickett.

“We have long questioned the motives of Wairarapa Water Ltd. in pushing a scheme that would benefit very few land owners, and have large consequences and costs for the rest of the community.”

“The fact that Water Wairarapa appears to be operating under the strange belief that water that flows to the sea is “wasted” is a major warning bell,” Prickett says.

“Most of us know that to be healthy a river needs to flow to the sea and have plenty of water for the life that it supports.”

“Our best climate mitigation is protecting and enhancing our natural environment. This will make us more resilient than the type of damming and irrigation being proposed by Water Wairarapa.”

The group says that around the country vested interests are presenting water storage schemes as having community benefit when, in fact, they are taking water that people and nature need from rivers and often seeking resource consents that would last 35 years.

“We are concerned that the Government is yet to fully recognise and respond to the resource grab that these water storage schemes represent. Scheme’s like this pose a danger for future generations in that they will concentrate resources in a few hands for many decades and degrade the natural environment.”

The group says the Government needs to put money into researching and developing natural infrastructure solutions for building climate resilience as well as to put a moratorium on water takes until a sustainable path way forward is set in place.

ENDS

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