A political campaigner believed to have played a shadowy but pivotal role in last year's Hawke's Bay Regional Council election campaign is now threatening to sue councillors if the Ruataniwha dam harms the environment or fails to deliver promised economic benefits.
Havelock North-based Simon Lusk has written to all nine
regional councillors warning them he plans to "test the law" on individual councillor liability by taking legal action against those who vote to progress the $265 million water scheme if it subsequently "fails".
The council is promoting the dam as an economic shot-in-the-arm for drought-prone Central Hawke's Bay and is considering investing $80 million of ratepayer money in the project, but opponents are concerned the dam will harm local waterways by increasing nutrient levels, especially in the Tukituki River.
Mr Lusk hit the headlines last year as the apparent architect of a negative third-party campaign aimed at unseating regional councillors in October's local body elections but he has declined to comment on his involvement.
The regional council is expected to vote in April on whether to proceed with the dam project.
