Protecting Waitaha River: FMC co-signs open letter
FMC is calling for the permanent protection of the Waitaha River in a joint open letter sent on 14 April 2026.
FMC has co-signed an open letter with Forest & Bird, Greenpeace, NZ Canyoning Association, Buller Tramping Club, and former Whitewater NZ President Kev England, urging the Fast-Track Panel to protect the Waitaha River in the Morgan Gorge – one of New Zealand’s last pristine wild river gorges.
The letter follows draft approval of Westpower’s fast-track application to build a 23-megawatt hydro scheme in the largely untouched river, calling on the Fast Track Panel to reconsider the decision given the severe threats to the area’s ecological and recreational values.
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The Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand (FMC) is deeply disappointed by the Fast-Track Panel’s final decision to approve Westpower’s Hydro Scheme in the pristine, largely untouched Waitaha River.
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FMC has co-signed an open letter with Forest & Bird, Greenpeace, NZ Canyoning Association, Buller Tramping Club, and former Whitewater NZ President Kev England, urging the Fast Track Panel to protect the Waitaha River in the Morgan Gorge - one of New Zealand's last pristine wild river gorges.
Federated Mountain Clubs has submitted feedback on the concession tender process currently underway for the Molesworth Recreation Reserve, one of New Zealand's most significant backcountry destinations and an area of diverse and growing recreational use.
