West Coast New Zealand

This section looks at some infrastructure indicators including electricity consumption, state highway volumes and port volumes.  Table 7.1 presents a summary of changes of infrastructure indicators over last two periods.

Table 7.1 summary infrastructure indicators

Growth in electricity consumption figures in the latest year were in contrast to declines in the other indicators.

• Electricity supply
• Roading
• Port Volumes
• Airport volumes

Electricity supply

According to data¹ from Westpower and Buller Electricity, 258 million kilowatt hours of electricity were supplied to retailers on the West Coast over the March 2007 year, an increase of 2.6 percent.  This compared with a gain of 1.6 percent at a national level.  Over the same period, the number of consumers subscribing to Westpower and Buller Electricity services rose by 1.4 percent.

The change in gigawatt hours supplied and number of consumers over the last few years is shown graphically in Figure 7.1.

Figure 7.1 total consumers and electricity conveyed ²

There was a sharp increase in gigawatt hours consumed in 2003, followed by a fall in 2004.  Since then, electricity generation has risen strongly for three consecutive years.

The number of consumers ranged between 16,100 and 16,300 between 2001 and 2006, but increased significantly in 2007, with more than 200 new consumers added.  Energy consumption per consumer has continued to increase, from 14.5 MWh in the March 2004 year to 15.7 MWh in 2007.

Generation in the region may increase if either of two major hydro schemes currently seeking resource consents goes ahead.

Trustpower Limited has applied for resource consents to develop a hydro power scheme in the Arnold Valley on the West Coast.  Trustpower would like to build a hydro scheme on the Arnold River to better meet demand on the West Coast, and to free up power to supply other parts of New Zealand.

Meridian Energy is currently seeking resource consents to build an 85 MWh hydro scheme on the Mokihinui River, near Seddonville.  The proposed scheme would generate enough electricity for 45,000 homes.

Roading

Traffic volumes into and out of the West Coast decreased in 2006, continuing the trend down begun in 2005.

West Coast traffic data was collated for four points that covered the main entry and exit points into the West Coast region:

• Haast just south of the Haast river
• Inangahua north of township
• Otira just south of the Otira River
• Lewis pass west of region 12/11 boundary.

These daily traffic numbers were combined to provide an index of traffic volumes in the region.  In 2006, there was a net decrease, with decreases in volumes across all four measurement points.  Figure 7.2 shows the changes for the combined areas since 1999.

Figure 7.2 West Coast combined traffic volumes

The biggest change in the latest year was a 38 percent fall in traffic through the Haast measurement point.  There was a 24 percent reduction in traffic volumes through Inangahua.

Major roading projects on the West Coast at the moment include the replacement of the Arahura Bridge.  The new structure will include separate road and rail bridge spans and a combined cycle / footpath.  Construction of the bridge is expected to be completed by 2010, and is being undertaken by Transit New Zealand and ONTRACK.

Port volumes

There are two ports on the West Coast – Westport and Greymouth.  In the year ended June 2007, Westport transported around 579,000 tonnes of goods, while Port of Greymouth transported around 11,300 tonnes.  Tonnage out of the two ports is presented in Figure 7.3.

Figure 7.3 West Coast port tonnage

Westport is the main port in the West Coast region, and can accommodate vessels up to 131 metres in length.  Cement and coal exports together accounted for 93 percent of all volume through the port, with far smaller amounts of gypsum, used oil and fish imported. 

Tonnage through Westport decreased a further 7.7 percent in 2007, the second year of falling volumes. Nevertheless, volumes are well up on the average across 2001 to 2004.

The value of trade (which includes wharfage, berthage, pilotage, hire of tug and other harbour services to facilitate the trade) dipped slightly in 2007, to $2.06 million.  Values remain well above the long-term average, however.

The Port of Greymouth can accommodate vessels up to 109 metres in length, at draughts of 4.8 to 5.5 metres.  It exports mainly coal and aggregate and imports general cargo.  In 2007, exports were split almost evenly between coal and aggregate.  There were no imports.  Total exports from Greymouth were one-tenth of those seen in 2005.

Airport volumes

Hokitika and Westport are the main air routes into and out of the West Coast region.  We have been unable to collect volume and value data for air traffic into and out of the region.  However, we have identified flight schedules.

On weekdays, Air New Zealand runs five flights daily between Hokitika and Christchurch.  On Sundays there are between two and three return flights and there is one flight in and out on a Saturday.  Flights are around $328 return.³

Air New Zealand also runs two flights each weekday between Westport and Wellington, and one flight a day on weekends.  Flights are around $398 return.

^{1 The data is taken from annual information for disclosure, which these companies are required to submit each year to the New Zealand Gazette under section 57t of the Commerce Act 1986
2 Note that the scales on the y axes do not start from zero and changes may appear more pronounced than they really are
3 All prices were according to the airlines’ website booking service quotations taken on 15 May 2008 for a 19 May departure date.  Prices were for the lowest fares available}

Source: BERL 2007