Waiau river’s flow is 95% allocated to Manapōuri hydro power scheme, which powers bluff smelter

Completed in 1971, Manapouri Power Station is an underground power station on the west arm of Lake Manapouri in the South Island's Fiordland National Park. Watch the flyover here

Ninety five percent of the Waiau river’s flow is allocated to Manapōuri hydro power scheme, by way of Lake Manapōuri, to the clear detriment of the river. Read about the Environment Court hearings underway to renew the water resource consents, which expire in 2031.

This slightly longer but worthwhile read by Newsroom’s environmental editor, David Williams highlights the arguments being brought before the Court.

The Waiau River drains Lake Te Anau into Lake Manōpouri, from which water is drawn to power the Manapōuri hydro power station, which supplies electricity to the Bluff aluminium smelter, equating to 12 percent of the country’s electricity.

To place the water allocated for the scheme in context, this volume is 40 percent of the water allocated for all Aotearoa/New Zealand.

“Waiau” in Māori, means “swirling waters”, so-named because of the river’s once-turbulent volume of water. However, no longer, with tangata whenua now proclaiming the death of the river’s mauri.

Manapōuri’s owner, Meridian Energy, which is 51% taxpayer owned, argue that they shouldn’t have to meet standards under the National Policy Statement-Freshwater Management, on grounds that this policy, which has te Mano o Te Wai as its cornerstone, “poses an immediate threat to hydro generation, most particularly for the Manapōuri scheme”.

Ngā Rūnanga, says if there’s no balance between mauri and renewable energy, “then any benefit from renewable energy is questionable”.

Manapōuris has always been environmentally questionable. Now, the question at stake in the hearings is, “can some of the water currently allocated for hydro be used to restore the Waiau River?”