"Opponents say fight to stop fast-tracked Waitaha hydro scheme not over despite approval", 23 April 2026

Conservation and outdoor recreation groups say the fight to save a pristine back country river is not over as they consider legal action and warn of seismic risk…

The $200 million scheme, located on the remote Waitaha River on conservation land between Hokitika and Franz Josef Glacier, will divert water through a tunnel generating 23 megawatts of hydroelectric power, enough to power the equivalent of about 12,000 homes, according to Westpower.

But a cluster of conservation and outdoor recreation groups say they are considering legal action, while an engineering geologist and health and safety specialist have written to Westpower's board, warning it of the risk from the massive fault line just kilometres away…

… In an open letter to Westpower's board of directors, engineering geologist Kevin England and health and safety specialist Matthew Bennett - both past presidents of Whitewater NZ - calculated the risk to workers tasked with building the tunnel, reminding the board they could be held personally responsible for health and safety breaches…

Research showed there was a 75 percent probability of an Alpine Fault earthquake in the next 50 years, and a four out of five chance it would be a magnitude 8 or higher.

"This will cause severe ground shaking at the tunnel site, inevitably causing widespread rockfall and tunnel collapses."

There was a 100 percent chance of workers dying if the tunnel collapsed with them inside, England and Bennett wrote.

… The New Zealand Conservation Authority told the panel the project breached conservation policies and strategies and stated it "strongly believed that this meant the project should not be proceed".

But Westpower general manager generation and technology Rodger Griffiths said the project had a small footprint and a low environmental impact.

He said there was "still a lot of water to go under the bridge" but that the company would now begin detailed investigations…