Exploring the role of climate-resilient development in reducing climate-related impacts on New Zealand’s natural environment

Westpower are seeking concessions to construct and operate a run-of-the-river hydro scheme on the Waitaha River, located north of Harihari on the South Island West Coast. The proposed scheme is primary located within the Upper Waitaha Catchment, on Stewardship Conservation Land managed by the Department of Conservation.

Working at the interface of the dual climate and biodiversity crisis, this project assesses the role of local climate change mitigation and climate resilient development in addressing the drivers of net-nature change.

Client

Westpower Limited

Location

West Coast

Project team

Sam Parsons
Stephen Fuller

Project date

2022

The report describes the benefits of the Scheme in supporting New Zealand’s climate change response, the role of renewable energy generation in mitigating climate change impacts on the natural environment and explains why in deciding the Scheme’s concession application, the Minister should consider these benefits.

Through contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the severity of climate change impacts on the natural environment, the proposed Waitaha Hydro Scheme was assessed to indirectly provide positive outcomes in terms of climate change mitigation and therefore for conservation values.

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