Just over 1800 people have signed the Waiau River Care Group’s petition requesting Parliament to remove the exception for the Manapouri Power Scheme from the Draft National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM).

The petition closed yesterday (July 8) after organiser Paul Marshall of Tuatapere extended it from June 29 in a bid to get more support for the group’s call for increased water flow in the Waiau River.

The next steps are for the petition to be registered with the Cabinet before the national freshwater management policies are finalised this month.

The Waiau River Care Group has asked New Zealand First list MP Mark Patterson, who lives at Lawrence, to present the petition to the Cabinet select committee.

The group seeks a return of three percent of Meridian Energy’s water take from the Waiau River, in a bid to improve the health of the river ecosystem. 

Meridian’s Manapouri Power Scheme is one of five power schemes listed as “exceptions’’ to the national policy statement.