This interview was broadcast live on National radio and heard by 10’s of thousands of people as they made their way to work at 8.15 in the morning on 3/9/08.
Host Marcus Lush.
Lush began the interview with Mighty River Power CEO, Doug Heffernan, by discussing the successful commissioning of MRP’s new Kawerau geothermal plant. Heffernan showed considerable knowledge of the plant and its operation. Lush then introduced the topic of the proposed call in of the Turitea wind farm. There then followed a convoluted discussion about the merits or otherwise of a call in versus the use of the conventional process ,with Lush opining that if it was such an important project then the conventional process was the right one. Heffernan had no credible response to that statement. Heffernan then went on to show that he had detailed knowledge of the proposed wind farm and talked about how contracts had been signed with landowners for both turbines and transmission lines. Lush asked when the project was likely to be started if consent was given and then he specifically asked how big the wind farm was. Heffernan replied that it was similar in size to Meridian’s Te Apiti wind farm.
(NB Turitea is four times larger )
Click this image. Use the control key and mouse wheel to enlarge further
At this point the interview switched to me and I was introduced as an opponent of wind farms. I politely corrected that statement by saying that we had wind farms in the Manawatu and that they had been accepted by the public but that the proposed Turitea wind farm was “so in your face, so out there” that it would arouse strong opposition. I recommended that listeners go to
Footnote:
This podcast in the RadioLive archive, which could be accessed freely from www.palmerston-north.info , showed MRP to be underhand and duplicitous, but, like Macbeth with blood on his hands, a little sabotage would clear them of their deeds. The podcast was first deleted in late January. It was placed in an archive. I was able to google search it and restore it on the website. Shortly after that the audio was deleted completely. Finally the webpage, which the link from the website pointed to, was itself deleted, although the evidence of the podcast still remains on the RadioLive website. See appendix 1.
Appendix 1
LUSH~Mighty River Power's new Kawerau geothermal power station up and running Doug Heffernan, CEO of Mighty River Power, followed by Paul Stitchbury, detractor of wind farms in Manawatu. 03-Sep-2008
Appendix 2
NZ faces security threats, SIS says
Last updated 19:32 31/03/2009
New Zealand continually faces threats from espionage, sabotage, subversion and terrorism, the Security Intelligence Service says in its annual report.
The consequences of "realised threats" could include death, injury, very substantial property damage, compromise of government and private sector information and intellectual property.
The report for the year to June 2008, tabled in Parliament today, gives no details of the threats the country faces or where they come from.
It says those details have been omitted for security reasons.
Source
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2305431/NZ-faces-security-threats-SIS-says
Well, there we have it. Palmerston North, its water supply, the amenity values cherished by residents, its only universally visible landscape, and the natural environment are under threat from within and incredibly it’s an arm of the government which is doing it. My submission makes this clear and I have provided the evidence.
Paul Stichbury.
This is just disgraceful.When an SOE stoops to this level of corruption then the Govt has lost touch with the people. Who will hold them to account?
ReplyDeleteThe high and mighty power
ReplyDeleteI consider the stupidity and arrogance of this CEO unbelieveable. Why wasn't he humble enough to just say he made a mistake?
he didn't make a mistake - he lied - but dick smith came to the rescue.
ReplyDeleteIf I remember right Mighty River Power was the same outfit that cut the power to the Samoan lady in Auckland, who then died because her respirator stopped working. It seems that profits, greed and rape of the landscape come before people. I presume such behaviour is encouraged by the Government as evidenced by the call-in.
ReplyDeleteWhy is Mighty River Power rushing into a large intermittent windfarm when it has proven that geothermal is a more reliable option that offers security of supply? Has greed or ignorance incited Mighty River Power to join the wind rush to create a disaster for Palmy? In fact the abbreviation MRP could stand for Massive Ripoff for Palmy.
ReplyDeleteMRP has created a public relations disaster for itself. There will an uproar if their heinous proposal is built. At this stage the pubic of Palmerston North have no conception of the impact.
ReplyDeleteApparently, MRP prides itself on working with communities? Yeah right!
ReplyDeleteWake up needs to wake up. This grasping and profit seeking outfit doesn't give a stuff about PR and whingeing locals who are going to be shafted. Their high and mighty pride will not allow them to back down or make concessions unless they are forced to.
ReplyDeletehey, stop moaning, when i cut off ya legs i might buy ya a wheel chair
ReplyDeleteIs this CEO a buffoon who doesn't know what his minions concocted and brewed, or was he deliberately lying to downplay the invasion that is planned?
ReplyDeleteSurely, a state owned organisation that has the Government and the local city council in their pocket, plus a bottomless war chest, doesn't have to get caught up in this type of skull-duggery?
ReplyDeleteIt's hearting to see people around here are waking up to this government sponsored scam. Mighty River Power should just walk away.They stuffed up big time.The net is a powerful democratic tool.
ReplyDeleteWishful thinking Democrat. This arrogant organisation that serves as a tax collector for the Govt. is not going to walk away. Because they can pass on costs they have unlimited funds and they know it is not a level playing field,i.e. the local opponents can be burnt off.
ReplyDeleteMighty River Power's project manager, Stuart McDonnell, is quoted in the Manawatu Standard 19 March 2009 as saying: "MRP had previously created an information vacuum through lack of communication". This is an admission that the people of Palmerston North have no idea of the intrusion that is about to inflicted upon them. What other city in NZ would allow this type of development so close to residential areas? Palmerston North has become a dumping ground for wind turbines.
ReplyDeleteWell spoken Democrat, i.e. censorship and big dollars to control the media no longer work thanks to blogs such as this.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the Kiwiana Republic
ReplyDeleteTēnā koutou
ReplyDeleteIt is very upsetting to me and my whanau to find real evidence of a phoney democracy here in Aotearoa.Nobody has anything to gain from supressing information in this day and age.My grandfather fought for this country and it's not on that we have an enemey from within that is attacking civil liberties and the environmemt in this way.Mighty Power is attacking the treaty. Kia kaha Paora! Ka pai e hoa.Tēnā rāwā atu koe.He aha te mea nui o te ao?
He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!
"Predator on the ignorant provincial hicks of Palmy" has hit the nail on the head, i.e. MRP keeping the public in the dark to minimise opposition to their obnoxious proposal.
ReplyDeleteWhat a joke, i hear heffernan has now lied to the board of enquiry
ReplyDeleteit ain't over hefferman is going to appear before the board in 2010. he has no credibility. it's all about money. how much will he get as a bonus if the wind farm gets the go ahead?
ReplyDeleteafter the corruption exposed by climategate you really have to wonder how this clown has the balls to show his face in public.