Conservation Groups Threaten Legal Action After Controversial $200M Waitaha Hydro Scheme Gains Fast-Track Approval

The $200M Waitaha hydro project gains fast-track approval despite conservationist outcry over Alpine Fault risks and ecological damage to a pristine river.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 22, 2026, 3:21 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from RNZ (Radio New Zealand).

The Resurrection of a Once-Vetoed Project

The controversial Waitaha hydro scheme received official approval on Friday, marking it as the 18th project to be authorized under the Fast Track Approvals Act since early last year. The $200 million initiative by Westpower involves diverting water through a 1.5-kilometer tunnel on the West Coast to generate 23 megawatts of power, intended to service approximately 12,000 households. The project was previously declined in 2019 by the then-Environment Minister on the grounds that it would destroy the near-pristine natural character of the conservation land, but it was resurrected as a priority project under the new fast-track system.

Strategic Alliances and Local Support

While conservationists remain opposed, the project maintains the longstanding backing of Poutini Ngāi Tahu, comprising the rūnanga of Ngāti Makaawhio and Ngāti Waewae. These local rūnanga entered into a partnership agreement with Westpower in 2024 and formally urged the government to accelerate the project. Westpower’s general manager, Rodger Griffiths, argued that the scheme features a small physical footprint and is essential for improving the energy resilience and security of the West Coast, potentially meeting half of the region’s electricity demand.

Heightened Warnings Over Alpine Fault Risks

Specialists in engineering geology and health and safety have raised urgent alarms regarding the site's proximity to the Alpine Fault, located just three kilometers from the proposed weir. Experts Kevin England and Matthew Bennett noted a 75 percent probability of a magnitude 8 earthquake in the next 50 years, which they claim would result in widespread tunnel collapses. Their calculations suggest a one in 80 chance of fatality for workers during the construction period, a risk level five to ten times higher than the most dangerous industrial activities globally.