Wind farm with 22-turbines planned near Wellington

A wind farm with 22 turbines on the skyline north of Paremata, near Porirua, is proposed by Greater Wellington regional council.

The proposal will reignite debate about the visual impact of wind farms, because the turbines would be visible from much of Paremata, Whitby and Porirua.

The announcement of the proposed Puketiro wind farm, expected to provide power for 13,000 houses, comes three weeks after state-owned Meridian Energy unveiled plans for a $350 million 70-turbine farm near Makara. Meridian's proposal has drawn strong opposition from the Makara community.

The proposed $50 million Puketiro development, east of Battle Hill farm on Paekakariki Hill Road, has been outlined in Elements, the council's information bulletin.

Regional council chairwoman Margaret Shields said she believed Wellingtonians were strongly in favour of wind farm development.

"A tremendous number of people have raised it with me and there is a strong feeling that wind farming is the way to go."

She said the council was not planning to develop the farm itself. It would make the land available to a power company, and ground rents would be used to benefit ratepayers.

But residents spoken to yesterday indicated the regional council was picking a scrap.

"If people want to develop wind farms, they should be tucked away out of sight like they would be at Makara," Paremata resident Cheryl Hood said.

- nzpa