Tekapo Canal repairs scheduled to begin this year

28 March 2012

As announced previously, Genesis Energy confirmed today it is planning remediation work to parts of the Tekapo Canal to commence in November 2012 at the earliest, subject to further stakeholder consultation and gaining resource consents.

The project will involve lining sections of the canal with a specialised PVC material, repairs to embankments, improvements to three farm bridges over the canal, upgrades around the State Highway 8 bridge over the canal, and improvements to the Maryburn Fill section of the canal. In order to carry out this work, the level of Lake Tekapo will be drawn down by increased generation flow in the canal before the project to reduce the potential of spill from the lake during canal outages, sections of the canal will be dewatered during the work periods and a construction staging area will be established adjacent to the canal.

Genesis Energy’s Chief Executive Albert Brantley said the issues with the canal’s current soil liner and leakages are well known to Tekapo stakeholders and canal neighbours and were being addressed by the canal’s previous owner, Meridian Energy, before the sale of the Tekapo assets to Genesis Energy.

“We have spent the past nine months investigating the canal issues and identifying the best remedial solutions. A PVC liner at certain sections of the canal is the most appropriate solution. After detailed analysis, we have decided that we should start this work in November of this year at the earliest. We expect this decision will be viewed positively by the Tekapo community.”

The project to install the canal liner and other engineering activity designed to improve the canal is scheduled to take place over two 14 week outage periods this coming summer and the summer of 2013/2014, although the final timing of the works within the canal is subject to consultation with Meridian Energy under the Water Management Agreement between the two companies. A third construction period may be required the following summer and other engineering improvements will be made to the outside of the canal between the outage periods.

As well as consulting with Meridian Energy, Genesis Energy is continuing to review the canal remedial works with a wide range of interested and affected parties including local land holders, Fish and Game, Ngai Tahu Runanga, the Mt Cook Alpine Salmon Company, recreational canal users and Environment Canterbury.

Mr Brantley said the company was working hard with interested parties to ensure all concerns and issues arising from the lake drawdown, construction work and canal dewatering will be understood and addressed in an Assessment of Environmental Effects attached to resource consent applications, which will be lodged next month.

For more information contact:
Richard Gordon
Public Affairs Manager
Genesis Energy
P: 09 580 4782
M: 021 681 305