New West Coast-Tasman MP Maureen Pugh said yesterday it was her No 1 priority.
Westpower last year resubmitted its application for the run of river scheme - with the support of the two West Coast runanga - and it has been sitting on the Conservation Minister's desk ever since.
The original proposal was refused by Labour's David Parker in 2019.
On a recent visit to Greymouth, Prime Minister-elect Christopher Luxon sounded supportive but said any decision would have to go through proper processes.
Greymouth Mayor Tania said the mayors, chairs and iwi on the Coast met last week and stipulated that Waitaha was one of the region's strongpoints to present to the incoming government.
"It won't cost the Government money, so it won't hurt them financially."
Proponents argued the scheme would lower power bills by having more local generation. Currently, West Coast power prices are among the dearest in the country.
"My power bill is ridiculous." Mrs Gibson said.
"There's light at the end of tunnel."
Westland Mayor Helen Lash said while the Waitaha River was popular with "a select group of users", not everyone was into whitewater rafting.
It was time to start looking at the big future, and sustainability on the Coast.
"If people from Auckland want to come here and go whitewater rafting, they need to support us.
"Power is extremely expensive here.
"If the (Hokitika) dairy company stopped burning coal, and the (Greymouth) hospital can't find enough power - there's not enough power on the national grid. We've got to look at other things. Common sense has got to prevail, we don't have to be world leaders. We just have to get it right."
Buller Mayor Jamie Cleine said there was no reason it should not go ahead, and West Coast Regional Council chairman Peter Haddock said it was top of the list.
"It's a no-brainer. I think Westpower made a really good concession to canyoners - so many days a year.
"It's power security for the West Coast - our power is double or even more than Wellington."
Westpower Group chairwoman Sue Merriman said Waitaha was a key project "and it underlies a lot of the economic growth pending on the West Coast".
When Mr Luxon was here and talking to mayors, she told him Westpower did not need money for Waitaha - "we need just need a yes".
Mrs Pugh had him "well versed" on the proposal, Mrs Merriman said.
