Lake Coleridge Development Proposal |
TrustPower Ltd’s Lake Coleridge Development Proposal is designed to improve energy generation and efficiency and ease local irrigation demand. TrustPower is currently in process of public engagement and further scheme investigation.
TrustPower has developed a scheme based at Lake Coleridge that, if fully implemented, would potentially provide reliable irrigation water in conjunction with on farm efficiency initiatives for up to 140,000 hectares in the northern mid Canterbury area and up to 70MW of new generation capacity.
Lake Coleridge has been identified in the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS) and is a key component of the potential for integrated water management, energy production and environmental restoration in Canterbury. TrustPower believes that the Lake Coleridge Development Proposal can make a large positive contribution to the CWMS targets, specifically:
• Water use efficiency
• Irrigated land area
• Energy security and efficiency
• Indicators of regional and national economies
As well as positive contributions to the remaining targets.
It is considered that there are substantial benefits resulting from a more integrated approach to water management and that the Lake Coleridge Development Proposal has a significant part to play in that approach.
In order to achieve this, TrustPower is seeking to amend the Rakaia Water Conservation Order 1988 (RWCO). This amendment aims to facilitate a change in the way TrustPower currently operates the Coleridge and Highbank Hydroelectric Power Schemes (HEPS) to allow for the storage and use of “stored” water – water which has already met the residual flow and flow sharing provisions of the RWCO – for abstraction.
With the amendment to the RWCO, the water will be available to increase the reliability of existing irrigation takes and efficient power generation. The Lake Coleridge Development Proposal will abstract stored water from Lake Coleridge and pass it through a gravity fed canal system and the Rakaia River upon which power stations will be located, including the existing Coleridge hydro scheme. Through this design, “stored” water will supply irrigators on the both north and south banks of the Rakaia River.
Over the past two years TrustPower conducted extensive investigations into its Lake Coleridge Development Proposal. From the 30th May to 1st June TrustPower engaged the local Canterbury community to present the Lake Coleridge Development Proposal and to provide an opportunity for community members to speak one-on-one with both TrustPower staff and the consultants commissioned to undertake the environmental assessments. These community meetings were very successful. Local attendance over five meetings totalled close to 400 interested community members.
To see the presentations used during TrustPower's community meetings click here.
To read the Lake Coleridge Development Proposal technical reports click here.
For more information please click on the following links:
The existing Coleridge Hydro Scheme
The existing Highbank Hydro Scheme
The Rakaia Water Conservation Order 1988
The Canterbury Water Management Strategy website and key documents
If you have any queries regarding the public meetings or TrustPower's Lake Coleridge Development Proposal please contact:
Ian Lees
TrustPower Canterbury Development Manager
Ph: 021 919 404
Email: ian.lees@trustpower.co.nz
Kerry Watson
TrustPower Environment Team Manager
Ph: 021 742 973
Email: kerry.watson@trustpower.co.nz
