Progress on the Ruataniwha Dam has suffered another delay, as an appeal on a contraversial land swap is taken to the Supreme Court.
Today the Department of Conservation has sought leave to appeal the Court of Appeal's direction that the Director-General reconsider his decision on a land exchange for the Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme.
Last month the Court upheld Forest & Bird's appeal that a land swap involving areas of the Ruahine Forest Park which would allow the Ruataniwha Dam to proceed, was unlawful.
In March the environment group appealed a High Court decision allowing a swap of 22ha of the Ruahine Forest Park for 170ha of land the Hawke's Bay Regional Investment Company Ltd (HBRIC) would potentially buy from Smedley Station.
This would downgrade the protected conservation status of the land to allow it to be flooded as part of the water storage scheme.