North Canterbury residents oppose solar farm near homes

Auckland-based Lightyears Solar Ltd co-founders Matt Shanks (left) and Sean Toban. Photo / Lightyears Solar Ltd

• A North Canterbury community is opposing a proposed solar farm by Energy Bay Ltd near their homes.
• Residents, led by David Fordyce, plan to gather evidence and make submissions before February 28.
• Mayor Dan Gordon has offered council support, emphasising the importance of factual evidence over feelings.

A North Canterbury community is vowing to fight a proposed solar farm near their homes.

Australian company Energy Bay has applied to the Waimakariri District Council for a resource consent to build and operate a solar farm on an 80ha site on Upper Sefton Rd, north of Rangiora.

David Fordyce, a spokesman for the residents, said neighbours planned a street meeting after hearing the council had notified the consent last week.

He said residents had received advice indicating it was unusual to build solar farms close to houses.

“There’s still plenty of concerns out there, especially for the people living next door.

“We’ve got thousands of acres of poor quality land in North Canterbury which would be suitable if someone wants to put one up, so why build it here?”

Submissions close on February 28. File photo of Lodestone Energy’s Kohirā Solar Farm. Photo / NZME

Mayor Dan Gordon has met with the residents and has offered a meeting between council staff and residents to discuss the consent process.

Residents previously raised concerns with the council at a public meeting in May 2023.

“I think there will be a lot of people making submissions, but I have been reminding them that feelings don’t mean as much as facts, so we will be focusing on gathering evidence,” Fordyce said.

Submissions close on February 28.

Energy Bay Ltd has been contacted for comment.

The proposed Sefton solar farm is one of at least four being proposed for North Canterbury in the future.

A hearing for a proposed solar farm at Tram Rd, Swannanoa, south of Rangiora, was held last week after four submissions were received.

Auckland-based Lightyears Solar applied for a resource consent to build and operate a solar farm with 9077 solar panels on an 8ha site.

The Hurunui District Council received a resource consent application in March last year from Far North Solar Farm for a 180.8ha solar farm near Waipara.

The council’s planning team leader, Nicola Kirby, said the application is on hold while staff review the application and a peer review of the information “in relation to landscape and visual effects is undertaken”.

Local residents have called on the council to publicly notify the consent.

The Waimakariri District Council granted a resource consent last year for MainPower, North Canterbury’s energy network, to build a solar farm on a 10ha site at Thongcaster Rd at Eyrewell Forest, to the north of Waimakariri River.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.