Hawke's Bay's two opposition MPs are calling on regional councillors to block a bid to raise a $4 million loan to tide-over the Ruataniwha dam planning as it struggles through legal issues.
The proposal is being put before a council meeting today by the Hawke's Bay Regional Investment Company, which needs council approval to raise the loan.
The two Labour MPs, Ikaroa Rawhiti's Meka Whaitiri and Napier's Stuart Nash, say it's a case of "throwing ratepayers' good money after bad".
The attempt to raise what they call a "bridging loan" would be "nothing short of a desperate bid to keep the Ruataniwha going in the face of serious environmental and economic concerns ," Ms Whaitiri said.
"Instead of seeking more money from investors and ratepayers the council should be telling us just when the spending stops," she said.