The Environment Court this week will still have to settle some issues relating to conditions on resource consents granted for Meridian Energy's proposed $1 billion power scheme on the lower Waitaki River.
Judge Jon Jackson and three commissioners will sit in Oamaru from today to hear where Meridian and five other parties still differ over conditions attached to four resource consents which were granted in an interim decision for the north-bank tunnel concept scheme.
A memorandum filed with the court indicates many of the issues the parties had have been settled.
Since the interim decision, "a significant amount of discussion" had occurred between Meridian and parties who had appealed the granting of the water-only consents.
A memorandum filed with the court by legal counsel said the issues remaining were limited.
Agreement had been reached with Waitaki First, except for one issue over when the consents had to be used before they lapsed.
Agreement had also been reached with the Lower Waitaki River Management Society, which had included discussions between Meridian and the society's expert witnesses.
The one outstanding issue was whether a condition should be included under which Meridian would clear vegetation from the riverbed between the power scheme's outfall at Stonewall and the sea.
Moeraki resident Dugald MacTavish had also been in the discussions, but still had some unresolved issues which the court would have to settle, including mitigation for didymo in the lower river.
In the memorandum, it was suggested the court start this week's hearing with legal submissions from Meridian, along with an outline of changes to conditions as a result of agreements.
Other parties would then make submissions on their outstanding issues.
Expert witnesses would then be heard and cross-examined, the hearing ending with any closing comment from Meridian.
