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.
