Photo: Screenshot / WestCoastFilm
A West Coast lines company is reigniting a bid to build a run-of-river hydro scheme in its region.
Westpower says the Waitaha Hydro Scheme - with capacity of 20 megawatts - would provide a valuable back-up to the West Coast's electricity network should a major transmission line go down.
It is a return to a project that was declined Department of Conservation concessions to build the scheme in 2019.
Opposition was led by the kayaking community, and included the likes of Forest and Bird and Federated Mountains Club, which said the project would have irreversible impact on what is a rare kayaking run.
The Morgan Gorge part of the river is considered grades 5 and 6 - the most difficult and rarest kinds of kayaking runs.
The Waitaha proposal is a run-of-river scheme - meaning it would harness the energy from the flowing water in the river, rather than using water storage and a dam like traditional hydro schemes
Westpower's chief executive Peter Armstrong told Kathryn the project would improve security of supply in southern Westland in the case of a transmission failure.
The president of Federated Mountain Clubs is Megan Dimozantos says the area is largely untouched by humans and is valued for its natural wildness.
