Facts about Wild Rivers

Hydro dams irreversably destroys wild river environments - while the water is renewable, wild rivers are not.

Dams have a finite lifetime, but the wild river cannot be replaced.

Dams destroy river values - landscape and wildness values, ecological and environmental values, and recreational values. Wild rivers are powerful, yet fragile.

Wild rivers are an endangered species

If we look around New Zealand it sometimes seems like there are rivers everywhere.

Most of our major river systems though have already been irreversibly destroyed by dams and irrigation.

Wild rivers, worth more flowing free

Tourism is one of New Zealand's biggest industries, and it depends on the existence of our stunningly beautiful landscape.

Power companies, stealing a river near you

Nobody in New Zealand has to look too far from home to see a wild river under threat.

Environmental destruction, coming soon to a river near you

Nobody in New Zealand has to look too far from home to see a wild river under threat.

The RMA needs strengthening to protect our wild rivers

The Resource Management Act (RMA) is not sufficient to protect our wild rivers. While it contains the Water Conservation Order (WCO) mechanism, these are slow and expensive to obtain.