David Parker opposes hydro dams on the Nevis River, and was against Project Aqua on the Waitaki.
The Passing Notes column by Civis (ODT 6.6.09) referred to my support for strengthening the water conservation order over the Nevis River.
Civis suggested that the Helen Clark-led Labour government had a different stance on hydro dams from my own.
For the record, as a backbench MP, I opposed Project Aqua on the Waitaki River.
The Clark government was already being criticised for refusing to agree to conservation land being inundated by a dam at Dobson on the West Coast.
Nevertheless, the Clark government also required a water plan to be prepared for the Waitaki in advance of water consents being considered for Project Aqua.
The plan duly set minimum flows for the river - a significant factor in Project Aqua being called off.
Miss Clark did not criticise me for my Project Aqua stance.
Rather, she made me minister of energy and gave me climate change responsibilities as well.
In these roles, I promulgated the New Zealand Energy Strategy (NZES).
Yes, it does call for more renewable electricity, rather than greenhouse gas-producing gas and coal-fired generation, but it also puts unprecedented effort into improving end-use efficiency to reduce projected demand growth from 2% per annum to 1.3% per annum.
The NZES explicitly states that not all renewable electricity projects should proceed, because the adverse environmental effects of some are too high.
This is further emphasised in the proposed National Policy Statement (NPS) on renewable electricity prepared by the Clark government, under the Resource Management Act.
The NPS is now being considered by a board of inquiry.
The proposed NPS explicitly requires decision-makers to consider the relative degree of reversibility of adverse environmental effects associated with proposed generation technologies.
This makes geothermal easier to consent than wind, and hydro harder than both (assuming the current government proceeds with the NPS).
Contrary to the suggestion by Civis, the Clark government did not call in any hydro proposals.
We did call in some wind and geothermal applications.
In any event, calling in a consent application does not change the environmental test.
It changes only the process, to a one-step inquiry by an independent panel chaired by an Environment Court judge, with appeals limited to matters of law.
Lastly, when Contact Energy last year announced its intention to resurrect its hydro ambitions on the Clutha River, I voiced my opposition while a minister of the Clark government.
I will continue to do so, because the last unmodified stretches of New Zealand's mightiest river ought not to be dammed.
All of this is a matter of public record, which Civis could have checked from ODT files, or by phoning me.
Perhaps the more pertinent question Civis should have asked is whether the new process the present National Government is developing for large projects will revert to the National Development Act approach, used by a previous National government to push through the Clyde high dam.
• David Parker is a Labour list MP and former minister of energy in the Clark Labour-led government.
