Invitation for comments
On 9 March 2026 the Lake Pūkaki Hydro expert panel released Minute 2, recording their decision on which parties are to be invited to comment.
Minute 2 of the expert panel (PDF, 730KB)
The closing date for comments was 8 April 2026.
Comments received
- Department of Conservation (PDF, 587 KB)
- Department of Conservation Appendix A - Terrestrial Ecology Evidence (PDF, 1 MB)
- Electricity Authority (PDF, 222 KB)
- Ka Rūnaka & Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu (PDF, 752 KB)
- Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage & Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations (PDF, 159 KB)
- Minister for Māori Crown Relations (PDF, 392 KB)
- Minister for Land Information (PDF, 46 KB)
- Minister for Regional Development (PDF, 592 KB)
- Minister for the South Island (PDF, 302 KB)
- New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) (PDF, 257 KB)
- NZTA Attachment 2 - NZTA and Meridian Energy Agreement in relation to the Waitaki Hydro Scheme (PDF, 5 MB)
- Parlimentary Commisioner for the Environment (PDF, 291 KB)
- Transpower (PDF, 506 KB)
- Transpower Attachment A - Comments on costs and benefits John Culy (PDF, 220 KB)
Canterbury Regional Council
- Canterbury Regional Council comments (PDF, 803 KB)
- Appendix 2 - CRC recommended conditions (PDF, 327 KB)
- Appendix 3 - Groundwater technical expert advice (PDF, 110 KB)
- Appendix 4 - Lake ecosystems technical expert advice (PDF, 181 KB)
- Appendix 5 - Terrestrial biodiversity (including wetlands, avifauna) technical expert advice (PDF, 510 KB)
- Appendix 6a - Air Quality technical expert advice - rock armouring (PDF, 364 KB)
- Appendix 6b - Air Quality technical expert advice - lake lowering (PDF, 271 KB)
- Appendix 7 - Landscape technical expert advice (PDF, 139 KB)
- Appendix 8 - Hydrology technical expert advice (PDF, 102 KB)
Genesis Energy Limited
- Genesis Energy Limited comments (PDF, 488 KB)
- Appendix Two - Statement of lay evidence Andrew Balme (PDF, 1 MB)
- Appendix Three - Statement of expert evidence Jan Stanway (PDF, 8 MB)
- Appendix Four - Statement of expert evidence Mark Groves (PDF, 1 MB)
- Appendix Five - Statement of expert evidence David Weaver (PDF, 1 MB)
- Appendix Six - Statement of expert evidence Simon Coates (PDF, 550 KB)
- Appendix Seven - Statement of expert evidence Phil Mitchell (PDF, 141 KB)
Panel's decision to accept late comments
On 4 June 2026, the expert panel issued Minute 6 confirming their decision to accept a further late comment for the Lake Pūkaki Hydro Storage and Dam Resilience works application.
Minute 6 of the expert panel (PDF, 202KB)
On 28 May 2026, the expert panel issued Minute 5 confirming their decision to accept late comments for the Lake Pūkaki Hydro Storage and Dam Resilience works application.
Minute 5 of the expert panel (PDF, 383KB)
Late comments
Minister for Energy (PDF, 259KB)
Minister for the South Island (PDF, 72KB)
Applicant response to comments received
- Table of Contents for Response to Comments (PDF, 71 KB)
- Applicant response to comments – Legal submissions (PDF, 3 MB)
- Applicant Response Table (PDF, 3 MB)
- Appendix A – Rory Blundell Evidence (PDF, 214 KB)
- Appendix B – Grant Telfar Evidence (PDF, 679 KB)
- Appendix C – Dr Brent Layton Evidence (PDF, 273 KB)
- Appendix D – Amy Callaghan Evidence (PDF, 201 KB)
- Appendix E – Dr Grant Webby Evidence (PDF, 10 MB)
- Appendix F – Viculp Lal Evidence (PDF, 205 KB)
- Appendix G – Peter Stacey Evidence (PDF, 219 KB)
- Appendix H – Patrick Lees Evidence (PDF, 202 KB)
- Appendix I – Sam Heggie Grace and Dean Miller Evidence (PDF, 415 KB)
- Appendix J – Graham Ussher Evidence (PDF, 107 KB)
- Appendix K – Matt Dodson Evidence (PDF, 1 MB)
- Appendix L – Environment Canterbury Resource Consent Conditions (PDF, 679 KB)
- Appendix M – Department of Conservation Wildlife Permit Conditions (PDF, 438 KB)
- Appendix N – Lake Pūkaki Draft ESCP (PDF, 6 MB)
- Appendix O – Lake Pūkaki Resilience Works Dust Management Plan (PDF, 2 MB)
- Appendix P – Lizard Management Plan Lake Pūkaki (PDF, 2 MB)
Applicant response to late comments received
Memorandum of counsel in response to comments from Minister of Energy (PDF, 156KB)
Statement of Evidence Dr Brent Layton – response to comments from Minister of Energy (PDF, 151KB)