KEY POINTS:
Meridian Energy's Project Hayes wind farm would be a blight on the Central Otago landscape and should be turned down, a major planning report says.
The report was released yesterday by the Central Otago District Council, which received 1062 submissions on Meridian's plan to build New Zealand's biggest wind farm on the Lammermoor Ranges west of Dunedin. Just over half the submissions support the project.
However, in his 186 page report, planning consultant David Whitney recommends Project Hayes does not go ahead, citing the significant effects the wind farm would have on the environment - in particular, the visual impacts from many different locations.
The Central Otago District Council hearings panel will consider Meridian's application in the next few weeks.
Meridian wants to build up to 176 wind turbines with a generation capacity of 630MW.
The planned turbines are 160m high and the site covers 92sq km. Between 1.3 and 1.8 million cubic metres of land would be disturbed.
Whitney's report said the turbines would be visible from many areas and would have a "significant adverse effect".
He questioned why such a large group of turbines was necessary and why could they not be set up in small groups in different areas.
The wind farm would be visible to users of Te Papanui Conservation park, with the closest turbine just 4km away.
Problems with ecosystems being damaged from the fine sediment run-off from the large area of exposed soils during the construction period were also raised.
An ecological assessment said removal of terrestrial vegetation and potential habitat for fauna was seen as a real threat.
Aviation requirements meant up to 36 turbines would have red lights flashing between 20 and 60 times per minute.
A submission from the Ministry of Environment stated a number of positive effects, including windpower as a viable and environmentally responsible energy source.
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
