Hydro plan would ruin village, says expert
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The encroaching sea may force people in a West Coast village to leave their homes if a hydro project near Westport goes ahead, an expert says.
A hearing into Meridian Energy's plan to dam the Mokihinui River about 11km upstream of its mouth was told it could mean 75m of beach vanished over the next 100 years.
Coastal geomorphology expert Derek Todd said the best option for people living in Mokihinui, near the mouth of the river, would be a managed retreat inland.
The Mokihinui hydro project would involve building an 85m-high dam wall and creating a 14km-long lake.
"The trapping of beach sediment in the lake reservoir behind the proposed dam will reduce the supply of suspended sand and bedload sands and gravels to the coast, and this will result in an acceleration in coastal erosion," he said.
Todd said seawalls proposed to protect the cluster of baches, houses and a camping site that made up the village would not withstand battering from the sea for long enough to be an option.
Meridian says the 360 gigawatt-hours (GWh) to 410GWh of electricity the project would produce each year is essential.
Mokihinui residents said yesterday that debate over the project had divided the village.
"I think everyone in the village is concerned about it, and even those who might not live here permanently," said one resident.
The middle-aged woman, who did not want to be named, has lived within 20m of the sea for 25 years.
She said residents had voted in favour of building a wall to protect the village from the sea.
"It's going to be a long time before any decision is made. I would like to know one way or the other so we can get on with our lives," she said.
Mokihinui residents' steering committee member Basil Climo said 38 of the 40 villagers had voted for a seawall to be built so they could stay.
The hearing will continue this week.
