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Kōrero: Rivers

Building a hydro dam

Video file

The Ātiamuri hydroelectric dam was built in the 1950s on the Waikato River. It was one of a chain of eight dams on the river, meeting the growing need for electricity after the Second World War. While such projects were seen as beneficial, they permanently affected water levels and flows, reducing the scenic and recreational attractions of some major rivers.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: Pictorial Parade 66. National Film Unit, 1957

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

David Young, Rivers – The impact of European settlement, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/video/14700/building-a-hydro-dam (accessed 24 June 2026).

He kōrero nā David Young, i tāngia i te 1 March 2009.