Billboard hits a nerve

A billboard is being praised by the Otago Fish and Game Council for generating public support for its appeal to prevent hydro-electric dams being developed on the Nevis River.

A sign featuring the slogan "Pioneer Generation or future generations?" mounted on a car trailer has been towed around Central Otago centres during the last few weeks.

The protest relates to the council's request for an amendment to the Water Conservation (Kawarau) Order (1997), to protect the Nevis from hydro development, including plans by Pioneer Generation to build two dams on the river.

While the order gives some protection to the Nevis, it does not prevent the waterway from being used for hydro-electric power generation.

Fish and Game chief executive Niall Watson told a Fish and Game council meeting in Cromwell the combination of a billboard and website worked well to draw people's attention to an issue and then direct them to background information.

Cr Dan Rae said the campaign was so effective he had received "a heap" of positive comment from the public.

"We should be prepared to use the same format for other issues as they come up."

Mr Watson said the council was still receiving copies of more than 200 submissions which were lodged on its appeal, before a closing date of October 3.

He said the majority of submissions were supportive of the council's stance, although some large organisations and local authorities had not aligned with the lobby group.

"There's a very broad range of recreational users who have submitted in support of our amendment - I can't think of a single recreational sector which isn't represented.

Other environmental groups and individuals associated with Forest and Bird and the New Zealand Historic Places Trust have also submitted in support," he said.

The Department of Conservation and Ministry for Economic Development lodged submissions neither supporting nor opposing the amendment request.

Pioneer Generation opposed it, asking for the order to stand in its submission, as did the Central Otago District Council and Otago Regional Council.

"The councils' opposition seems to be related to the conservation order process rather than to the values of the order, which is business as usual for local bodies.

I struggle to think of a conservation order which has ever been supported by a local body in New Zealand," Mr Watson said.

He said it was difficult to tell whether the councils supported damming on the Nevis, although he doubted it.