Contact trims wind farm

Contact Energy has cut back the number of turbines in its resource consent application to the board of inquiry considering its Waikato west coast wind farm.

The Tuakau-based board of inquiry hearing into the project was adjourned in May, with Contact granted 12 months' extra time to prepare planning detail requested by the board.

Eleven turbines have been removed from the original 180 proposed for the Hauauru Ma Raki wind farm which would be spread over isolated country from Te Akau to Port Waikato.

That shrinks the generating power to 507 megawatt – down from 540MW – with an expected annual output of 1500GWh.

The turbines were deleted for visual, archaeological and ecological reasons, and Contact's communication manager Jonathan Hill says that the removal of the turbines should make the application stronger.

"Every turbine you delete has an impact on the project overall," he said. "It is not something we have done lightly but we think we have a better application from removing those 11 turbines."

No changes have been made to the proposed turbine size or blade length, but Mr Hill said refinements to turbine placement minimised the land area used by 60 per cent.

On the civil engineering front, fewer earthworks would be needed for roads.

Mr Hill said be believed the new proposal was the most comprehensive wind farm consent application in New Zealand's history.

"We now have a wind farm application that goes into a very precise level of detail," he said.

"The additional data we've provided to the board sets a new standard for the level of planning detail that goes into a wind farm project."The proposal has been "called in" by the environment minister and is being heard by a board of inquiry as opposed to the Environment Court.

As a result, the right of appeal for parties to the consenting process, with the exception of appeals to the High Court on points of law, has been removed.

It is likely the board will reconvene in April or May to hold a pre-hearing conference which will map out the way forward for the hearing.

- © Fairfax NZ News