Wind farm hearing adjourned

A board of inquiry has decided to adjourn its hearing into a $1 billion Waikato wind farm project for a year while more information is gathered. Objectors to the controversial Contact Wind and Contact Energy project north of Raglan had raised concerns about how practical the scheme was, despite it being called in by the previous Labour-led Government. Contact Energy spokesman Jonathan Hill confirmed that the board's chairman Judge Jeffrey Smith made the determination yesterday at Contact's request. Waikato Times . . . Complete story »

Wind farm put on hold

Contact Energy is putting the brakes on its planned $1.2 billion wind farm on the Waikato coast. Last year the then Environment Minister, Trevor Mallard, "called in" Contact Energy's proposal for a 180-turbine wind farm near Raglan, meaning it would be considered by an independent board of inquiry. Under the Resource Management Act, the minister can call in a proposal if it is deemed to be of national significance and direct that the matter is referred to either a board of inquiry . . . Complete story »


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Contact seeks delay to Raglan windfarm hearing

Contact Energy is seeking to delay a project the previous Government had agreed to fast-track. The power company is to ask the Board of Inquiry to postpone the hearing on its planned 180-turbine windfarm near Raglan for one year, so it can carry out more research and site work on Waikato's west coast. An opponent of the windfarm, Ross Townshend, says the call-in system is for projects that are to be fast-tracked, and Contact's request for an adjournment should mean forfeiture . . . Complete story »

Wind farm siting standards sought

Waikato District Council wants the Government to introduce national standards for the siting of wind farms. At its policy committee meeting this week, the council signed up to support a Palmerston North City Council remit to the Local Government New Zealand annual meeting which would call upon the Government to develop a "national policy statement" on where and how wind farms could be built. At present there are no restrictions on the minimum distances turbines must be from residential properties, design or . . . Complete story »

Windpower: Foolish energy

The drive for renewable energy in the form of windpower, marine power and the like, is driven by a belief that man-made greenhouse gases will cause dangerous global warming and that large-scale adoption of these technologies will "fight climate change". To this end, thousands of MW of heavily subsidized wind power capacity are being added worldwide each year. In New Zealand we are told that windpower is economic compared to alternatives, that the unpredictable short term fluctuations can easily be covered . . . Complete story »

Gore wind farm deal still unresolved

An agreement between TrustPower and the Gore District Council which will seal plans for a large-scale wind farm in the district is being held up by legal issues. Negotiations have focused on the size of the development levy the council wants to impose on the $400 million Kaiwera Downs development. Both sides say they have signed an agreement. However, the issue is being held up by moves to liquidate the Upland Landscape Protection Society which unsuccessfully appealed several wind farm projects in . . . Complete story »

Wind farm 'expert' grilled

Complaints about shortcomings in expert evidence have become a recurrent theme at the board of inquiry considering Contact Wind's plans for a 184 turbine Waikato wind farm. On the sixth day of the hearing at Tuakau yesterday, that continued when Contact witness Chris James the "lead wind farm civil designer" and a Beca-employed consultant, according to his evidence-in-chief copped a verbal mauling from commissioners. They even went as far as questioning his credentials and qualifications to be giving evidence on civil engineering . . . Complete story »

DOC critics deplore deals on projects

The Department of Conservation (DOC) is under fire over $22 million of deals it has made with power companies. DOC yesterday released details of 12 financial agreements, worth $22.23m, with developers in the past seven years after requests by The Press under the Official Information Act. All of the deals, except one $105,000 agreement, were with power companies. The department says the deals address environmental impacts and show its "practical and open" approach. Critics described the deals as outrageous and accused the department of . . . Complete story »

Turbines bird risk claimed

Contact Energy is prepared to take the risk of building multimillion-dollar turbines at its proposed Waikato wind farm even if they might not be able to operate under consent conditions. A board of inquiry hearing into the $1 billion Hauauru ma raki project for 180 turbines along Waikato's isolated west coast is continuing this week at Tuakau. But the tension evident between Contact's plans and the Conservation Department which says there is not enough evidence to make a decision on the project . . . Complete story »