Wind farm fix claims disputed

Claims at the Turitea Wind Farm hearing in Palmerston North that noise problems at a Wellington wind farm have been fixed are being disputed by residents there.

Meridian has made a series of changes at its wind farm in Makara, Wellington, reducing a problem with tonal sound.

Makara Guardians president Steve Russell said Meridian had not solved noise issues, however.

He put down fewer complaints recently to "complaint fatigue" and different wind conditions to normal.

Mighty River Power, which wants to build turbines on up to 105 potential sites on the Tararua Range near Palmerston North, could use the same turbine manufacturer as at Makara – Siemens.

A board of inquiry hearing on Mighty River Power's proposed Turitea Wind Farm is due to wrap up this week. Noise and landscape evidence have been the most contentious issues at the hearing.

A wind energy conference is also being staged in Palmerston North this week.

A Wellington City Council review of noise issues at Makara found that Meridian complied with its resource consent, except at one property.

Further monitoring would be needed to make sure the wind farm now complied, according to the review.

At the Turitea hearing last week, Meridian technical manager Paul Botha described a series of changes to make the Makara wind farm less annoying for nearby residents.

A 50-hertz tone was treated by changing software and a 62Hz tone was dealt with by fitting absorbers to turbines.

A 119Hz tone was addressed by slowing the turbines.

Mr Botha said there were about 100 complaints a month until the end of January.

In February, there were 53 complaints and there were 33 complaints to mid-March.

Complaints came from people at 64 houses, but 80 per cent of complaints were from 20 houses, he said.

Mr Botha noted that residents were in email contact with each other and this was sometimes evident in the pattern of complaints.

Mr Russell said he lived 1 1/2 kilometres from the nearest turbine.

Noise modulation was "little different than that I heard in December" and a friend 6km away also heard the noise, he said. "My wife is now having disturbed sleep, when she wasn't before."

- © Fairfax NZ News