Search

The course of settlement, development, and economies within nations has long been deeply affected by the availability of water. In a New Zealand context, Maori (the indigenous people) cannot divorce themselves from the challenges associated with setting environmental flows and allocating water. In the last two decades, Maori have become more vocal in seeking greater recognition of their cultural beliefs, values, and practices. Maori, however, face the challenge of conveying to decision makers how environmental flows affect their cultural interests. This paper introduces a cultural flow preference study, which is a tool that has been developed for Maori to assess their opportunities to engage in a range of cultural experiences in a catchment under differing stream flows. The process was applied in the Kakaunui River and enabled Maori to identify their flow preferences, together with the dependencies of a number of cultural values and uses on specific flows at a particular time of year. The results suggested that the current flow regime, which only prescribes a minimum flow, is unsatisfactory. A number of flow-related issues that can only be investigated as part of a collaborative investigation involving biophysical scientists and Maori were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Many years before greenhouse gas emission reduction became a major driver for renewable energy development, New Zealand was an early adopter of several alternative energy technologies, particularly hydroelectricity and geothermal energy. It has achieved a level of 60% of total electricity generation from such sources, and is now pursuing a target of 95% of electricity generation from renewable energy, to be achieved in fifteen years. In recent years, however, the development of renewables has lagged that of other countries, particularly in fields such as wind power. The paper reviews the history, current status and potential of the major renewable energy technologies in New Zealand, and suggests what may be current barriers to development. It is seen that the likely major contributors to replacing fossil fuel based energy are likely to be wind power and expanded geothermal energy use, with biomass, marine and solar energy sources likely to play a lesser role. The barriers to development include environmental issues, the opportunity cost of biomass feedstocks, and a policy environment offering less incentive to RE development than is the case in many other countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the early 1950s, the Wairakei geothermal power scheme was “fast tracked” as a project of national importance. In 1991, the Government enacted the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) which changed the focus of environmental planning and management from control of activities to control of the effects of activities on the environment. Existing generation schemes, such as Wairakei were deemed by statute to have resource consents expiring on 1 October 2001, by which time new resource consents had to be applied for. In preparing resource consent applications for Wairakei in 2001, the owner of the Wairakei power station, Contact Energy, compiled a comprehensive Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE). Although applications were lodged in March 2001, the process of securing resource consents took more than 6 years—significantly longer than anyone involved in the process expected at the outset. The applications were delayed by another company, seeking to establish a geothermal power station in the Wairakei field, pursuing legal action to have its resource consent applications heard and determined before those of Contact Energy. This action ultimately failed. A further delay resulted from Environment Waikato, a consenting authority, embarking upon a re-write of the policy regime against which the resource consent applications were to be assessed and determined. This was resolved through lengthy mediation with the assistance of the Environment Court. Also delaying the consent approval was Taupo District Council seeking complete and targeted infield reinjection of waste geothermal fluid from Wairakei with a view to avoiding ground subsidence, particularly in the Tauhara area. This was rejected by the Environment Court in May 2007. The appealed consents were granted in August 2007. In late 2007, the New Zealand Government''s energy strategy set the target of 90% of New Zealand''s total electricity generation coming from renewable sources by 2025, and that no further baseload thermal generation capacity will be developed unless required for security of supply. In accordance with this strategy, Contact Energy has filed resource consent applications for a 225MW geothermal power station at Te Mihi to replace the 50-year-old Wairakei station and is preparing resource consent applications for a similar sized new geothermal power station at Tauhara. The Government considers the Te Mihi proposal one of national significance, and has appointed a Board of Inquiry to decide the Te Mihi applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]