Kaimai wind farm still up in the air

File image.

A combined council hearing for a proposed wind farm on the north-western area of the Kaimai Ranges is unlikely to take place before the end of the year.

Iwi have raised specific concerns about the proposal and are currently in discussions with Kaimai Windfarm Ltd. The company lodged resource consent applications with Hauraki District Council and Waikato Regional Council in July last year.

Negotiations between iwi and the company will determine what should be included in a Maori values assessment, which looks at the relationship of Maori and their culture and traditions with their ancestral lands, water, sites, waahi tapu and other taonga.

The assessment will be considered along with other submissions by three independent commissioners jointly appointed by Hauraki District Council and Waikato Regional Council to decide on the applications.

The applications, which are being processed jointly by the two councils, cover the proposed construction of 24 large scale wind turbines over 1304 hectares near Rotokohu Road, south of Paeroa.

Seven of the proposed turbines would be 180 metres high and 17 of them would be 207 metres high.

The proposed wind farm will have the capacity to provide an estimated 400 GWH of power per annum, to the national grid.

Other proposed structures include a substation, two lattice transmission towers, two overhead power lines, and 18km of on-site roading.

An on-site quarry to supply material for the roads is also proposed.

The applications also cover the removal of vegetation and earthworks associated with the construction phase of the project.

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2 comments

wind farm

Posted on 17-10-2019 22:10 | By Davy

This is important for us all,our Children will need power in the future its now costing us thousand of DOLLARS thru the courts because people are objecting to clean energy. makes no sence to me


@Davy

Posted on 18-10-2019 14:10 | By morepork

No-one objects to clean energy. The objection is to placing an unsightly, noisy, blot onto a pristine landscape which is world class for its beauty. We need to think and consider before doing this. We can hope for breakthroughs in increasing the efficiency of other (less ugly) clean energy sources (solar, water...) and there may even be sources that are still in the laboratory. If we do this and it is obsolete by the time your children need it, are we then stuck with it? A proper consultation with all interested parties (including Iwi) is right and proper before we rush to this solution.


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