Makaroro River facts for kids

The Makaroro River is a river found in the southern part of the Hawke's Bay Region in New Zealand. It is located on the North Island. The river starts its journey in the Ruahine Range mountains. It then flows towards the southeast. Finally, it meets the Waipawa River about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) west of a place called Tikokino. The Makaroro River is about 23 kilometers (14 miles) long.

The Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme: A Big Dam Idea

The upper part of the Makaroro River was once planned to be the site for a very large project. This project was called the Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme. It was also known as the Tukituki Catchment Proposal. The main idea was to build a dam. This dam would create a huge reservoir. A reservoir is like a giant lake that holds water. This one would hold 93 million cubic meters of water!

Why Was the Dam Proposed?

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council proposed this project. A regional council is like a local government for a specific area. They wanted to make sure there was enough water for the region. This was important for farming and other uses. They aimed to ensure water sustainability. This means having enough water for everyone, now and in the future.

To manage this big project, the Council created a special company. It was called the Hawke's Bay Regional Investment Company Ltd. This happened in 2013.

Getting Permission for the Dam

Building such a large dam needed special permission. This permission is called "resource consent." Because the Regional Council was involved, the Environmental Protection Authority handled the consent process. The Department of Conservation also got involved. This was because some of the land for the dam was part of the Ruahine Forest Park. Forest parks are special areas protected for nature.

Challenges and Court Decisions

The project was first approved in 2014. However, some groups were not happy with the decision. Two groups, the Hawke's Bay and Eastern Fish and Game Councils and the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand, made appeals. An appeal is when you ask a higher court to review a decision. They wanted the conditions of the consent to be looked at again.

Nitrogen Levels and the Environment

The Environmental Defence Society also made an appeal. On December 12, 2014, a judge ordered a review. The judge wanted the Board to rethink how to manage nitrogen. Nitrogen from farms can get into rivers and harm them. The final decision was made on June 25, 2015. It included some changes to the original consent conditions.

Protecting Conservation Land

The Forest and Bird group made another appeal. This time, it was about a plan to swap land. The dam project needed to flood 22 hectares (about 54 acres) of protected conservation land. This land was in Ruahine Forest Park. In exchange, 170 hectares (about 420 acres) of farmland would become protected.

The Appeal Court made a ruling on August 31, 2016. They said that the Director-General of Conservation could not remove the special protected status of the parkland. This meant the land swap was not allowed under the law.

The Supreme Court's Final Say

The Hawke's Bay Regional Investment Company Ltd and the Minister of Conservation then appealed this decision. They took the case to the Supreme Court. This is the highest court in New Zealand. The court heard the case on February 27 and 28, 2017.

On July 6, 2017, the Supreme Court made its final decision. They agreed with the Appeal Court. They said the conservation status of the land could not be removed for the dam project. This decision meant the dam project could not go ahead as planned.

The Project Ends

In August 2017, the Regional Council decided to stop supporting the scheme. They also wrote off $14 million that they had already invested in the project. This meant the Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme was officially ended.