THE COST OF GORGEOUS

The argument that the Morgan Gorge should be kept for some kayakers and the West Coast can get its electricity from the national grid surely has a counter aspect (“Rough waters”, October 15).

The Electricity Commission is considering making the grid user-pays, which would hit Coasters with greater line charges. If the country wants to keep a gorge pristine for those essentially from outside the West Coast, then the outsiders should help pay for that privilege.

User-pays should work both ways, and if the rest of

the country is not prepared to share the cost of electricity transmission to the West Coast, then Coasters should be permitted to minimise their costs by generating their own. Wanting something implies being prepared to pay for it. Ian Miller (Belmont, Lower Hutt) generation scheme to one of the West Coast’s great whitewater rivers seems unnecessary. Westland has easy access to an environmentally friendly resource in its wild coastline.

Wouldn’t the West Coast be a great place to carry out a trial of wave or tidal power for the rest of New Zealand? We are a country with engineering and marine expertise that would allow us to carry out worldleading trials of wave or tidal technologies. The West Coast’s constant wave action is a resource that provides us with a natural advantage.

Such a trial would create much-needed work for locals and provide the country with the opportunity to develop skills in a new industry that has the potential to help the rest of the world to deal with climate change. Neil Smart (Richmond)