An application by Contact Energy to raise Lake Roxburgh by 60cm should not be seen as a chance to debate again the conditions surrounding the company's continued operation of the Roxburgh and Clyde dams, submitters were warned at a hearing in Alexandra yesterday.
Contact has applied to the Otago Regional Council to vary one of the conditions of its consent and raise the maximum operating level of Lake Roxburgh to 132.6m from 132m to boost power generation.
Fourteen submissions were received on the application and the matter was heard yesterday by Cr Gretchen Robertson (chairwoman), Cr Stephen Woodhead and independent commissioner John Lumsden.
They reserved their decision.
"It's important to note that the only thing under consideration is this variation.
"We're not considering the whole suite of consents that's already been through the environment court," Cr Robertson said at the start of the hearing.
Counsel for Contact, Paul Beverley made the same point, saying such matters were "outside the scope of the hearing".
"There's an extensive suite of conditions already in place covering a wide range of issues," Mr Beverley said.
Of the 14 submissions, eight opposed the lake being raised, five were in support and one was neutral.
The regional council's resource management director, Selva Selvarajah, has recommended the council grant the application, subject to 22 conditions.
Any adverse effects of raising the lake could be addressed through the conditions, he said.
Evidence was heard from eight witnesses on behalf of Contact, and submitters included Stan Randle on behalf of the Alexandra Flood Action Society, John Douglas, of Alexandra, Ritchie McNeish of Roxburgh East, and Department of Conservation community relations ranger Jacob Dexter.
Mr Randle said the society was concerned about the impact raising Lake Roxburgh would have on the Manuherikia River near Alexandra.
The society was also worried about the build-up of sediment in the river.
Mr McNeish farms along the east bank of the lake and the proliferation of weeds along the lake edge was his concern.
"We're the ones who have copped all the costs of dealing with the weeds," Mr McNeish said.
He was concerned fluctuating lake levels would affect stock access to the lake.
Mr Douglas wanted historic sites on the lake-side track from Alexandra to Roxburgh noted and protected.
Contact market and dispatch manager Boyd Brindson said increasing the operating level of Lake Roxburgh would enable the Roxburgh Power Station to produce enough extra power to serve 1400 households a yearContact environmental adviser Daniel Druce said the walkway from Alexandra to Doctors Point could be affected by the proposal to lift the lake level.
Contact had agreed to a condition that it reinstate or re-route any part of the walkway that might be inundated or damaged as a result of the heightened lake level.
The company had been granted an archeological authority by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust and conditions required Contact to carry out an investigation of some archaeological sites along the edge of the lake, stabilise and restore any affected by raising the lake and to monitor the effects of the lake level on other historic sites in that area.
