Contact Energy says it will start consulting with the public
early next year about possible hydro-electric development on
the Clutha River.
This follows a meeting in Clyde yesterday between the mayors
of the Central Otago, Clutha and Queenstown Lakes districts
and three Contact executives.
Contact's Wellington-based general manager of generation,
Mark Trigg, Central Otago project manager of hydro
development Neil Gillespie and Clyde dam manager Graham Quinn
met Mayors Clive Geddes (Queenstown Lakes), Juno Hayes
(Clutha) and Dr Malcolm Macpherson (Central Otago) to discuss
the best ways to engage the public on potential projects.
It was the first gathering of local government officials and
Contact since the power company confirmed in August it was
revisiting previously shelved plans for dams at Beaumont,
Queensberry and Luggate.
Mr Gillespie said by talking to the mayors, Contact could
ascertain how best to move forward on reconsidering
development of the river.
"We've no proposed plan and all we wanted . . . [was] some
sort of a feel from the mayors about an approach with which
we can talk to people about possible developments . . .
"There's a number of schemes from days gone by that some
people already know about, which provides us with a starting
point," he said.
Mr Gillespie said it was pure coincidence yesterday's meeting
took place one day after the new Government was sworn in at
Wellington.
Mr Geddes said Contact "did the right thing" getting the
mayors together.
"We received a review from Contact on the projects that
essentially were projects they took over from the previous
Electricity Commission, and the status of those projects.
Today was really just a catch-up for us all," he said.
Dr Macpherson said any development of the Clutha would be a
long way off, and he expected it to be at least 12 months
before Contact, or the community, had any real idea of
potential projects.
"It would be a mistake for people to expect anything to
happen at this stage, as it's too early in what isn't even a
process," he said.
Although he neither supported nor opposed hydro-electric
development of the Clutha, he acknowledged it was a real
possibility.
"The prospects for hydro development on the Clutha are not
going to go away and we have to start thinking about what
that might mean for us," Dr McPherson said.
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