Protesters in pipes block irrigation project
Greenpeace activists spent last night inside a locked down construction site as part of a protest against Canterbury’s largest irrigation scheme.
Early yesterday morning, nearly 20 protesters took over a building site near Hororata, where the second stage of the Central Plains Water (CPW) scheme is being built.
They had banners reading ‘‘Stop Big Irrigation #Saveourrivers’’. Several chained themselves to pipes and machinery, forcing a halt to work for the day.
It is the latest barb in the environmental group’s fight against industrial irrigation, which it said would enable more intensive farming, putting further stress on waterways.
The second stage of the CPW project was given the green light in September last year, despite a heavy backlash from environmental protesters.
The second stage would comprise about 180 kilometres of underground pipes, delivering water primarily from the Rakaia and Waimakariri rivers to hundreds of farms.
‘‘We’re here to send a message that big irrigation schemes like CPW mean more cows, which means more pollution,’’ said Greenpeace campaigner Genevieve Toop, at the scene of the protest.
‘‘We want to see an end to government subsidies to these big irrigation schemes.’’
Police were on site to negotiate with the protesters, primarily to ensure health and safety risks were managed, said rural area commander Inspector Peter Cooper.
Toop said there was no set time limit for how long the protesters would stay on the site.
‘‘Our people are still there, trying to keep warm and they’re in good spirits.
‘‘We’ll see how it goes. They’re equipped to stay overnight, at least, but we’ll take it as it comes,’’ Toop said.
Greenpeace had ramped up its campaign against irrigation following its opposition to the planned Ruataniwha dam in Hawke’s Bay.
That scheme was effectively scuppered after the Supreme Court ruled the Government could not swap conservation land to enable development.
There are at least eight irrigation schemes in the works nationwide, three of which are in Canterbury.
Environmental groups have particularly opposed Crown Irrigation Investments, the Government fund which will put $400m of public funds towards the development of irrigation schemes.
Its purpose was to be an earlyin, early-out investor to get schemes off the ground.
CPW’S supporters argue it comes with significant economic benefits for the region, including hundreds of direct and indirect jobs.
It would also give certainty to farmers in areas prone to drought and relieve the region’s stressed aquifers by replacing the use of groundwater for irrigation with surface water.
More than 90,000 people signed a petition to stop government funding of irrigation schemes.
In May 2016, Greenpeace wrote an open letter to CPW chief executive Derek Crombie, published in The Press, telling him to drop the scheme on environmental grounds and reminding him of the organisation’s past protests.
A CPW spokesman declined to comment.