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Kaituna

Mo ngā awa te aroha, he waiaroha — For the love of rivers

The fight for the lower gorges

The Kaituna/Ōkere lower gorges hold some of the best whitewater in the North Island. Pari Whakahihi (Awesome Gorge), Pari Tukino (Gnarly Gorge) and Pari Kohukohu (Smokey Gorge) carry grade III to V water that runs year round. They are a training ground for our slalom paddlers and one of the few North Island runs of this grade that is not tied to a dam release. Paddlers come from across the country and overseas to run them.

A proposed hydro scheme by Taheke 8C would dam the river below the trout pools. It would drown the top of Pari Whakahihi, including the upper slalom training section, dry much of Pari Tukino, and return a variable flow through Pari Kohukohu. For paddlers, that is the loss of the runs themselves.

Millie Chamberlain above one of the rapids in Pari Kohukohu (Smokey Gorge), a river section of the Kaituna/Ōkere lower gorges threatened by the Taheke 8C dam

Millie Chamberlain above one of the rapids in Pari Kohukohu/Smokey Gorge – Photo courtesy of Michel Uhl

Where it stands

Last updated: June 2026.

The Fast-track referral application has been returned after being deemed non-compliant with the Fast-track proccess, so the scheme is not currently proceeding through Fast-track. To see the details of why, you can read it here. That is a real win, and it followed sustained opposition from paddlers, iwi, the wider Ōkere community and others. A returned application can be resubmitted, so we are staying watchful. See the current status of the application here.

Why we oppose it

Our position rests on more than the paddling, though the paddling alone is significant.

  • Recreation. The lower gorges are a world-class run and a rare un-dammed grade III to V resource in the North Island, used by local and visiting paddlers and by slalom athletes in training.
  • River iwi opposition. All five river iwi have stated unanimous opposition to the scheme, citing the effect on the mauri of the awa and a lack of respectful engagement: Click here to read further.
  • Environmental effect. A proposed residual flow below the ecological minimum set in the regional plan threatens the health of the awa and the migratory route that tuna and kōura have used for generations. Slowing the nutrient-rich water above the dam raises the risk of algal bloom and weed growth.
  • Scale. On the developer’s own figures this is a micro-hydro scheme, contributing at most around 0.2% of New Zealand’s annual electricity. Its benefits are often presented alongside a separate, larger geothermal project. The dam should be judged on its own merits.

What Whitewater NZ is doing

We brought the proposal to public attention, ran a media campaign to inform paddlers and other river users, and backed the opposition led by river iwi and the Ōkere community. We are monitoring the Fast-track register and will act if the application is resubmitted.

How you can help

Updates

For the detailed background and the timeline of events, see our previous update post.

Mo ngā awa te aroha, he waiaroha — For the love of rivers