Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Will Foley said making it easier to install systems without resource consent saves money and time. Photo / Central Hawke's Bay District Council
Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Will Foley said making it easier to install systems without resource consent saves money and time. Photo / Central Hawke's Bay District Council
Central Hawke’s Bay District Council is consulting with the community about making it easier for farms, businesses and landowners to generate their own renewable energy.
The council has proposed changes that align with the Government’s recent National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy Generation, which means landowners and businesses wouldno longer need to apply for resource consent to install small-scale solar generation systems that power their own site.
Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Will Foley said the change was about making it easier for people to generate their own electricity.
“Based on feedback previously from our community and aligning with current solar uptake, our current rules around renewable energy were too restrictive,” Foley said.
“Making it easier to install systems without resource consent makes sense, improves resilience and saves money and time.
“We will be asking the community for their feedback on this.”
The current definition in the District Plan, which limited renewable energy systems to 20 kilowatts, created a barrier for farms, businesses and landowners looking to generate their own power.
Formal public consultation will open in March 2026.
