Expert slams plan to dam, flood farms

10th June 2009

A Massey University senior lecturer is slamming Hawke's Bay Regional Council's proposal to dam waterways and flood valleys in the drought-stricken province.

An area the size of 857 rugby fields has been earmarked as part of a proposed water storage irrigation scheme, which had been touted as an economic and environmental windfall by the council.

Mike Joy, Massey University's senior ecology lecturer, said there was no successful precedent to an irrigation scheme of this type.

"Man-made dams are very rarely successful," he said.

"Farming should reflect the land and climate it's based in. In this case it's ridiculous that they're doing the opposite - trying to change the natural environment to suit farming. Council are playing God to suit what's in vogue today."

Regional council chief executive Andrew Newman said the scheme was still undergoing a feasibility report.

"It's important to note we're proposing to do this off river - so our major rivers won't be affected," he said.

The potential impact on the region's GDP would be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, he said.

"There's no guarantee this will go ahead. Council needs to approve every step of the way, as the potential capital cost is substantial."

Yet Mr Joy said the move would probably threaten native fish and eel species.

"Engineers in these cases need to talk to ecologists to get the full picture. I've recently been involved in research at Patea Dam in Taranaki, which was a river dammed in 1984. There's no native fish there now, and eel numbers are on the decline."

He rejected council's suggestion that major rivers would not be affected.

"That's just weasel talk. Where are they going to create the dams? They can't do so on hilltops.

"It would have to be done on low-lying areas, areas which are ultimately connected to rivers, streams and waterways."

Local Tukituki MP Craig Foss said he was in favour of the proposal.

"This is the province's third drought, and the economic impact on families has been devastating," he said.

"I imagine if those opposed to the project would talk to these families they may get a different picture.

"I think it's great that council is trying to pre-empt further scenarios like this."

Council has yet to identify proposed sites.

Central Hawke's Bay district councillor and farmer Maitland Manning had earlier reported farmers whose land was used for storage lakes would gain access to water, as well as cash compensation.