Community divided by wind farm

Objectors to the proposed extensions to the Tararua Wind Farm say the project has divided the community.

Farmer Bernard O'Neil said Aokautere, east of Palmerston North, was a close-knit community split apart by the Tararua 3 proposal.

"The stress that has been caused within this small community because of the proposed extension of the wind farm has not been seen here previously," he said.

Yesterday was the third day of the resource consent hearings into the third stage of TrustPower's Tararua Wind Farm development.

Aokautere Guardians spokesman Detlef Klein was warned by chairman Alistair Aburn to leave out some of his evidence because it could be seen to denigrate some of the experts who spoke on TrustPower's behalf.

Other submitters also left paragraphs out of their evidence.

The noise of the proposed turbines was the focus of a lot of discussion yesterday. Many objectors said the existing turbines could be heard clearly in an easterly wind.

Farmer Murray Martin told the hearing TrustPower had told him stage two, the previous stage, of the wind farm would not create a noise problem -- but the company had been wrong.

Barbara Jackson, one of two submitters who spoke in favour of the T3 project, said people who did not like the visual aspect should remember the turbines were there to generate electricity.

The hearing was continuing today.

- nzpa