.png)
View the original article published in both Hawke's Bay Today and CHB Mail in late January which broke the news that Centralines, the company responsible for managing local consumer-owned power assets, had given $200,000 to a private company, Tukituki Water Security Ltd to fund a study which recommended the resurrection of the failed Ruataniwha dam.
In response the following letters were then submitted to both papers and to to date have not been published:
Submitted by Clint Deckard on 01/02/2022:
"Mike Petersen’s illuminating response (HB Today 26-1-22) to Dr Le Lievre’s concerns about the $200,000 payment by Centralines to Mr Petersen’s company, raises further questions. He says he avoided approaching irrigation companies lest they appear too supportive of the dam, but he is happy to take money from the Board of Centralines; hardly a hot bed of anti-dam sentiment.
Why not look to those who will directly benefit from your attempt to revive the RWSS for funding? Just a grand from each from the 196 customers of the first RWSS would just about do it. Or GoFundMe? Why pick the pockets of the power consumers of CHB?"
Submitted by Paul Bailey on 27/01/2022:
"Trevor Le Lievre is quite right to question why Centralines is getting involved in water storage (Opposition to $200k spend on dam study 26/1/22). One has to wonder what expertise Centralines has in dealing with water security issues especially when HBRC has already spent a tremendous amount of time and money doing just that. HBRC has in fact been working on this very issue for over a decade with their latest solution being Managed Aquifer Recharge which comes at a cost to ratepayers of $14m. This is on top of the $20 million they also spent on the failed Ruataniwha Dam. All to deal with water security issues in CHB. But what I find most disconcerting is that two of the six directors of Centralines are members of the Tukituki Water Security Group and one was a very public advocate for the original Ruataniwha Dam. To my mind this screams of potential conflicts of interest and pre-determination in making this decision. This should ring alarm bells with the CHB Consumers Power Trust, and rather than simply relying on a letter of expectation the Trust should be asking the hard questions of the board which they appointed. After all the $200k gift is money that could well have been distributed to the power consumers in CHB rather than been thrown at the pipe dream which is the Ruataniwha Dam version 2."
If you agree with Wise Water Use that the recent Centralines grant of $200,000 is not wise use of power consumers' money, please consider signing the petition to be sent to Central Hawke's Bay Consumer Power Trust (the body which contracts Centralines)
I agree entirely😶