Forest & Bird to appeal Mokihinui dam

Independent conservation organisation Forest & Bird has lodged an appeal against the massive dam Meridian Energy wants to build on the pristine Mokihinui River.

“An appeal against a well-funded state-owned enterprise will be a significant undertaking for a charity, but we must continue our fight to save this wild West Coast river and the primeval forest along its banks,” Forest & Bird Field Officer Debs Martin says.

“Forest & Bird cannot accept the loss of the Mokihinui and the rare native blue ducks, longfin eels, giant land snails and other animals that are threatened by the proposed dam.”

Meridian plans to build an 85-metre-high dam and flood more than 330 hectares of river gorge and forest under a 14-kilometre-long artificial lake.

“If this dam goes ahead, it would be the greatest flooding of conservation land in New Zealand history. It would be a completely unacceptable loss since this river has some of the highest natural and wilderness values in our country,” Debs Martin says.

“If the Mokihinui is dammed, no river will be safe. Destruction of forest on this scale puts New Zealand alongside countries that destroy rainforest. This threatens our reputation as a country that’s environmentally responsible,” she says.

Forest & Bird hopes the Department of Conservation will lodge its own appeal to uphold the values of this important piece of conservation land.

“The West Coast does not need the Mokihinui for electricity generation – two other consented hydro projects on the West Coast already make it more than self-sufficient,” Debs Martin says.

ENDS

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