The Guardians of Lake Hāwea are concerned that continued high lake levels will result in more cases of erosion and land loss along Hāwea’s shoreline.

Guardians of Lake Hāwea chair Dave Currie told the Wānaka App the group has been working with Contact Energy and Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), and is waiting to hear from Otago Regional Council (ORC), following multiple slips and significant land loss along the face of the cliffs below Flora Dora Parade last month.

“We’re a bit grumpy,” Dave said.

In January lake levels were approaching the maximum height of 346 metres (which Contact is consented to operate up to), and on January 10 heavy rainfall raised the lake over 346m.

The high level combined with gale force northerly winds caused multiple slips around the lake and “significant land loss” along the Flora Dora cliffs, Dave said.

The Guardians met with Contact Energy, which committed (with the help of QLDC) to provide temporary fencing above the cliffs to ensure community safety.

However, Dave said, it remains clear Contact wishes to maintain lake levels close to 346m through until the end of winter to help provide for winter power needs.

“... at this level more severe weather events may result in further slips occurring,” he said.

“We feel that track infrastructure is now increasingly at risk.”

While Contact has consent to operate at this level, the Guardians have reminded the company of its consent obligation to avoid and mitigate the impact of erosion, Dave said.

“In 2024 they produced an erosion management plan with a number of options on how infrastructure would be protected, these have not been discussed with us in detail nor a preferred option agreed to.”

Dave said the Guardians believe one of the options in the plan, “or something else more appropriate needs to be urgently agreed to, consented and actioned”.

“As a result, we are making extensive representation to [ORC], the regulator in this matter, to determine why these consent provisions have not been met, and how they plan to ensure action is taken.”

The 2024 plan required Contact to identify actions to avoid, remedy or mitigate erosion on the lake margins and adjacent land adjoining Lake Hāwea township.

It also required Contact to submit a new plan to ORC within two years, in consultation with QLDC and the Hāwea Community Association.