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Summary of the Project
According to the Interim Climate Change Committee, it is anticipated to produce at least 5TWh of its annual storage. The project is expected to be done between 4-5 years, with two years for commissioning and filling. Once construction is done, it is approximated to provide skilled and semi-skilled jobs of between 3,500-4,500. It is a project that is meant to give the electricity market stability system. Besides, it will be efficient in the provision of intermittency backup for system security. The project is estimated to cost around $4 billion to be complete. The feasibility research on the task calls for certainty regarding the cost of the project.
Therefore, the project’s funding and financing are to be determined based on the feasibility study. Also, other probable subsequent expenses and levies are to be resolved through the same. In connection, the application of levies would then need to be justified through an explicit demo of important public good, through feasibility study, and a general reduction of prices for customers in the long run.
The lake is situated in the northeast of river Clutha in Central Otago. The project is designed to resemble a contour measuring 760 meters; however, it is not the only design. The project was contracted to Te Ropu Matatau in October 2021 by the Minister for Energy and Resources. It is announced to undertake an overview of environmental, engineering, planning, and geotechnical practicability. The contracted company is a consortium of partnerships led by Mott MacDonald (engineering consultancy) New Zealand and Boffa Miskell in charge of design and environmental planning.
Together with both cultural and ecological investigations underway will be helpful in the determination of an explicit picture regarding the practicability of the costs and the project’s storage scheme. The first part of the project will entail a proper investigation of the project’s design and the possibility of far-reaching impacts on the environment. Also, it will involve the application of scientific methods to help in the establishment of an efficient plan and building of its structures.
The project’s second part will involve looking into the design through information-gathering investigations concerning geotechnical. It includes the geology of the location, properties of the rocks, the lines of the fault, and the presence of rocks and other earth fill to aid in the possibility of dam construction in the location. The work on environmental planning will consider consenting decisions on the further task that might need to evaluate the environmental impacts.
Besides, fieldwork surveys include additional work to drill shallow and deep to understand the underlying rock characteristics better. It will then help identify an efficient route for tunnels and the best locality for the underground powerhouse. The lake Onslow project is one of those proposals to use the lake for the storage system to serve as a backup for electricity during dry periods. It was first proposed in 2005 by a hydrologist of the University of Waikato, Earl Bardsley.
Maori Perspective
The Maori people are the native Polynesian people of the mainland, New Zealand. They came from with East Polynesians, whom they arrived at around 1320 and 1350. Over several years during their stay, they began a distinct culture, where its language, arts, and traditions evolve differently from the other neighboring cultures (Timoshanko). Some Maori people had moved to an island known as Chatam, where their ancestors became New Zealand’s ethnic group.
There are possible perspectives of the Maori people about the Onslow project. Firstly, the Maori’s stance on the water is that its conservation and management are considered environmental management. They believe that the people of the land are the ones to offer protection on their tribal interests, and they are the owners of the resources. In connection, the Maori people do not see the need for the project given that they are the owners, and they are to protect their resources.
To achieve their needs, they consider self-determination (rangatiratanga) a collective responsibility to preserve, protect, and improve it over some time for the coming generations. The Maori people’s perspective on lake Onslow is to maintain and keep it for their future generation. They have their perspectives on the significant role of water in ethnic creation stories. Furthermore, the locality of their sacred places is often situated in riparian regions along with the waterways.
It, therefore, means that such points should not be destroyed. Also, other significant historical places are located on the same riparian localities. Besides, they see waterways as necessary in terms of the provision of transport routes. The canals and the riparian are essential sources of treasures and materials for their culture (Timoshanko). Therefore, they protect it consistently for future generations to use the valuable resources found in the riparian and the waterways.
In the event of establishing the project, it means that the people of Mauri will be affected significantly. According to them, the contamination of a body of water lessens its Mauri. More vividly, decreased amount of water flowing in waterways is an unhealthy river. Spirituality, the Mauri people protect the seasonal flows of water, terming it natural “moods” of the river, and under no circumstance should it be disturbed.
On the same note, if water from different rivers is mixed together, it signifies Mauri’s extinction. Furthermore, a river serves a great cultural purpose as well as a robust ecosystem for life. Therefore, the Mauri people want to be granted permission to manage water plans, waterways and restoration supervision, and improvement programs. They also seek to be part of the decision to determine threshold value concerning minimum flows of water and its quality. Finally, they requested an opportunity to find water bodies that necessitate immediate action to maintain.
The Matauranga Maori traditional context talks about the understanding and the knowledge concerning the existence of everything visible and non-visible. It involves various activities such as cultivation, fishing, and healing techniques by use of medicine. According to their perspectives, such aspects are met when an environment is conserved. In ideal situations, they convey their ideas traditionally, during periods of environmental renewal.
They utilize their traditional theories and practices to respond to myriad environmental aspects and challenges. According to Maori people, activities such as fishing, gardening, and hunting manage the available resources. It involves observations of the movement of sea currents, wind, and the physical features of the land. Besides, they discourage recreational fishing or birding and harvest what is required. The Maori principles can be best described as the physical life principles that blend spiritual interests and physical aspects in a broader perspective. Therefore, such principles will significantly impact the project since they are mainly based on religious and spiritual views.
As a result, Mauri’s perspective shall cause a lot of chaos once its establishment starts. Firstly, the project is meant to solve the future shortages of energy witnessed in the past. Therefore, the people’s perspective will make it hard to harmonize their beliefs together with the objectives of the project; that is, they do not add up together. Consequently, such a project should always involve ethical considerations, of which their perspectives have to be considered. A good decision is arrived at whenever two opposing parties agree on the same. Therefore, it is anticipated that it might take a long time before the project begins. It is because there is a need to harmonize all views and find a rational solution that will ensure the continuity of the project.
Triple Bottom Line Analysis
The triple bottom line, otherwise known as TBL or 3BL, is based on accounting consisting of three parts. The three parts considered in this concept are social, ecological or (environmental), and finance (Cole et al. 1022). It is meant to evaluate a project from a bigger perspective, enabling it to value it significantly. Other than the project’s purpose to produce power during the dry periods, the project will as well be an eco-tourism center.
It will be an essential aspect of the country’s economy, and it will provide an opportunity to establish a Wildlife sanctuary. Therefore, it will have a fence around lake Onslow to prevent predators and increase the reservoir. Given the irregular nature of renewable energy, it is anticipated to provide an excellent solution to curb the existing problem. In connection, the project will result in the production of electricity that is cheap to the public.
In the event that the recommendations are worthwhile, it means that thousands of Jobs shall be created. It is an appropriate way of building an economy of a country; when the number of people employed increases, individuals can provide for themselves, and thus the morale increases and issues become stabilized. More concretely, a country with a reasonable employment rate means that many people are beyond the poverty line, and the level of living grows continually. Such kind of Job creation will help reduce crimes because when individuals have minimal legitimate income, they are more likely to get involved in illegal activities such as robbery. In addition, those who get employed and earn reasonable income are more likely to do the best things in their lives and minimize idleness. Basically, the creation of Jobs does not only involve the provision of financial stability, but it is helpful for personal growth.
The project will mainly focus on lake Onslow and undertake an assessment on other small potential storage in other parts of the country, such as the North Island and other alternatives. However, the North Island, where there is a lot of energy demand, is not a resolution, given that the logistics do not add up together. Small ponds and lakes exist in the same area, and they cannot provide sustainable energy throughout the dry period. The project’s idea is that water will be allowed to fall down a high lake to generate electricity at times of high electricity demand, thus making energy prices minimal (Cole et al. 967).
Conversely, cheap electricity shall pump water up the lake during periods with a large amount of water. Therefore, it ensures the provision of energy throughout all periods all over the locality. One essential thing of an uncertain world is energy, and particularly in an increasing quantity. Therefore, the Onslow project will ensure that the economic and social well-being progresses efficiently, ensuring that the quality of life becomes better.
For a country, the availability of reliable energy makes almost everything functional, for instance, communication, transportation, and its many uses in the medical equipment sector. The Onslow project will then help to solve the shortages which often happen with increased prices. Given that it is part of human wants, its availability stabilizes almost everything since every increase in the value of energy per unit results in a corresponding rise in other commodities. Also, the project will see other industries arising due to the same, for instance, expansion of Agriculture, increased trades, and efficient transportation.
The above aspects are fundamental towards the eradication of poverty and also a pathway for a good life. According to statistics, the energy demand is anticipated to go up by 25 percent by 2040. Therefore, the Onslow project will meet the demand since the renewable sources will not be enough to sustain it. Economically, every dollar that is invested results in an approximate $8 in economic activity.
Environmentally, the Onslow proposal was to establish the storage away from the former hydro lakes, which will improve the shorelines due to water being pumped up and down. It means that storing water on a location like a lake Onslow, embedded with rocks, will solve the often-seasonal water shortages (Cole et al. 1298). There have been critics of the former reservoir on the impacts it had on freshwater and terrestrial biodiversity.
The project is around 8 square kilometers, having submerged wetlands. Each project that is made should positively impact the environment, and the project has considered efforts to make sure that the underground water is protected. The possibilities to protect the submerged wetlands include extracting the submerged wetlands and placing them in a floating system. It means that the wetlands will still exist, but it is designed to go down and up together with water and be larger than the existing ones.
The project will also endanger a species of fish known as Teviot, whose residence is along the tributary of the Onslow lake. The project has come up with a special design such that the species are protected within a reserve. The development of the Onslow project will lead to far-reaching impacts on the environment. The lake’s stream will be affected both above and below the scheme. Those valuable locations that often provide an efficient ground for plant support and those that serve as breeding locations, such as birds and other animals, will be depleted. It will drown riparian individuals since a significant amount of water will be impounded on the upper part.
The projects downstream will dry up due to evaporation and, at the same time, seepage. Also, seasonal flooding ceases once the project is established, it is often a natural way through which it fertilizes, and also the flooded water usually distributes debris. In addition, the project could result in a large amount of water being lost through evaporation, given the extensive surface area of the storage. In turn, high evaporation of water could result in an extensive deposition of the salt.
Engineer’s Ethical Considerations
Many benefits will arise from the Onslow project, and therefore the project engineers should consider ethical issues as they undertake their work. It is important to adopt such considerations to avoid controversies that often arise and are associated with the location’s economy and societal aspects. Firstly, project Engineers are usually known to be the masters of their work. Therefore, they should undertake their task by doing the right thing on what they are tasked to do but not to consider the right thing to undertake. More concretely, the project’s engineers should not be influenced by their interests. Such kind of behavior can undermine the communal trust in proficient expertise.
In connection, the Engineers should consider not to take the privilege to the sole source of knowledge regarding the project. Distinct groups have various interests, and therefore it is when all parties are granted the opportunity to air in their concerns, a holistic strategy shall be solved. However, when only a part of the parties participates, it is more likely to cause chaos and distort its construction.
Moreover, site Engineers should consider their professional ethics and the more prominent ethical aspects. The construction of the Onslow project will have a significant impact on both human beings and nature. Its development will destroy the animal’s habitat and also inhibits the surrounding place and the coming generations. Therefore, considerations should always go beyond short-term human interests, which will entail sustainability’s environmental and social aspects.
In general, the collaboration between Engineers and the society at large should be then be considered. There should be societal concerns and be addressed as the top priority, which necessitates the project to consider the same. The issues mentioned above point to an expansive scope for engineers’ ethics. Besides, professional engineers of the project need to understand various traditions of the larger community to undertake their task. In connection with this, the individuals’ welfare, safety, and health must be keenly observed. It involves proper safety measures specified in the project’s site.
Another consideration is to shift from only placing all the focus on the engineers’ micro-ethical duties to macro-ethics, that is, more focus on the organization’s framework. As an engineer, there should be more concern, particularly with the government, the public, and engineers’ interests, to ensure balanced economic, social, and ecological perspectives. Furthermore, the Onslow engineers should have to understand the geographical, social, and cultural differences that exist in the project’s location. Therefore, could there be differences on the same during the project’s development, then the concerned authorities of the project should have to resolve. As per ethics, if there are cultural and social differences, all the citizens will have to be involved in what can be done to enable a win-win situation. It is good to evaluate in a broader perspective the need to look into such differing views. The larger acceptance of an issue concerning an issue is an essential requirement in social Justice.
In any organization, honesty is one of the critical aspects of accomplishing a desired specific objective. The key important issue that should always be kept as the top priority by the site Engineers is, to be honest with its employees and employers. For instance, it is ethical to inform the project workers of their actual pay for their work. It is also essential to ethical treat them without any form of exploitation. Exploitation often happens due to dishonesty within an organization, for instance, delay in payment, unrealistic pay, and poor safety measures. Apart from honesty, corruption is another ethical issue that needs to be considered by the project’s engineer. It can involve hiking the prices of raw materials in an event to make more from the project. They need to understand that their reputation is critical in their professional life.
Besides, the professional Engineers need not only extract the moral principles of the project, but they should also have a good look at the actual impacts of the individuals (Quaranta, and Davies 23). For instance, the project comes with benefits as well as risks. If, for example, the tributaries of the lake dry, the people who live at such points, if not rationally handled, can affect stability and social harmony. Furthermore, every project is associated with risks during the construction; therefore, Engineers need to be ethical. For example, appropriate measures must be laid to ensure that the workers’ safety is efficiently handled.
For the project, it will entail the erection of ultra-high walls, and if in case they collapse can result in loss of life and even the properties. Therefore, the most important efforts for the project’s engineer should be a good design and proper expertise on its construction. The nation’s progress should be an irreversible process, and hence protection of the environment should be the topmost priority for project Engineers. It is an ethical concern given that economic development and life safety is an environmentally equivalent concern.
Although it is the responsibility of the project’s engineer to ensure the provision of safety in the project, it is also of great significance to consider the ethical tasks of other stakeholders within the functioning of the project (Quaranta, and Davies 29). It is among how the overall responsibility is spread through expanded engineering public. Also, there should exist efficient coordination of duties throughout the whole stages of the project.
For instance, there should be government officials to find the impacts of the project on the economy, society, and the environment. Thus, Engineers will have to undertake technical and design necessities and evaluate adverse effects, right from designing the project and its eventual construction. Apart from the safety that the project Engineer should look upon on workers’ safety, there should also put appropriate measures for those who will be involved in the day-day operations of the site. Generally, Engineers’ ethics should be consistent with the government’s standards, general needs, and the interests of individuals whose lives are impacted by the project.
Conclusion
In conclusion, proper establishment of appropriate ethical considerations and guidelines before the project will significantly address anticipated opposition among different parties. Also, the ethical considerations of the project must mainly be based in the context of New Zealand. The extensive scope of the engineer’s ethical responsibilities, coupled with good attention to different aspects, will more likely result in good guidance in engineering activities. However, we should also be keen to evaluate the failures that might have to arise in a similar project and get to ethical address them. Therefore, the linkage between the project partners, together with decisions regarding the long-run planning, moral reasoning, and good problem solving, will result in a positive contribution to the national needs.
Works Cited
Cole, Jeanne et al. “Collaborative, Risk-Informed, Triple Bottom Line, Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Planning Framework for Integrated Urban Water Management”. Water, vol 10, no. 12, 2018, p. 1722. MDPI AG. Web.
Quaranta, Emanuele, and Peter Davies. “Emerging and Innovative Materials for Hydropower Engineering Applications: Turbines, Bearings, Sealing, Dams and Waterways, and Ocean Power“. Engineering, 2021. Elsevier BV. Web.
Timoshanko, Aaron. “Justice at The Edge: Hearing The Sound of Silence.” Dr Aaron Timoshanko. 2021. Web.
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