A conservationist is calling for transparency in how DoC spends $640K it accepted when it withdrew its opposition to the Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm development near Dargaville. Photos / File
A conservationist is calling for transparency in how DoC spends $640K it accepted when it withdrew its opposition to the Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm development near Dargaville. Photos / File
The Department of Conservation has come under scrutiny for reversing its strong opposition to Northland’s first wind farm.
This happened after the Government department agreed to an increased compensatory funding deal with the developer Tararua Wind Power Limited (TWP), a Mercury Energy subsidiary.
The department (DoC) was initially themost vocal of eight opponents to the project, filing legal submissions in August 2021 on its serious concerns about the potential adverse impact on protected species, especially the critically endangered Australasian bittern (matuku-hūrepo).
In response to recent questions from the Northern Advocate, DoC confirmed that in 2022, it had agreed to a deal withdrawing its opposition to the Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm, in which the company more than doubled a payment offer from $250,000 to $640,000.
The $287 million Kaipara wind farm, about 12km northwest of Dargaville and 3km inland from the Tasman Sea, will house the country’s 12 largest turbines – each completed unit standing 206m tall with rotor diameters of 162m.
The site is a known stronghold for the elusive wetland bird, now forced to fly more frequently because of habitat fragmentation, greatly increasing its risk of turbine collisions.
DoC initially submitted that the Kaipara District Council (KDC) lacked sufficient information about the birds to make an informed assessment before issuing consent for the wind farm project.
The council adjourned the consent hearing for confidential talks between the department and the developer, who reached their agreement in January 2022.
The deal included DoC agreeing to remove its requirement for the company to create/enhance wetland habitat within the wind farm site, allowing instead for off-site wetland restoration if that option arose.
While Mercury Energy has emphasised its commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement, advocates for the bird, including Christchurch-based bittern expert Peter Langlands, fear DoC was compromised in the consent process.
Langlands and other critics call for full disclosure of the scientific assessments, including bird tracking studies, that led to DoC’s U-turn.
Christchurch based bittern expert Peter Langlands. Photo / Emma Williams
DoC’s operations manager for Kauri Coast, Stephen Soole, said it relied on publicly available scientific evidence, the applicant’s ecological assessments, and advice from its ecological experts to assess risk, including flight path and collision risk analysis.
Key to DoC’s final decision was that the effects of the wind farm on bittern were not fully known, but that there was certainty that the agreed additional funding commitment by Mercury would provide positive outcomes for bittern through habitat protection and enhancement, Soole said.
“DoC is now satisfied that the agreed conditions and mitigation measures, including the increased fund and flexibility to target high-value sites, provide a real opportunity to improve bittern habitat and population resilience.”
Langlands has called for transparency in how the money dubbed the Bittern Management Fund is spent.
“We need proof that the $640K will go directly toward protecting the matuku, not just disappear into the system,” he said.
Soole said the fund would support wetland restoration or creation at sites chosen for their value to bittern, predator control programmes, and monitoring of bittern presence and breeding success.
“Funds will be allocated to DoC or iwi-led initiatives only, ensuring co-ordinated and high-impact conservation work. Specific projects will be selected based on strategic conservation planning.
“The final consent conditions are structured to allow responsive action based on monitoring results. Any bittern mortality attributed to the wind farm is required to be reported, with detailed actions set out in the conditions,” Soole said.
Langlands was critical that conservation organisations, including the NZ Bittern Conservation Trust, of which he is a founding trustee, would not be included in consultation about how the funds would be spent.
The ground for Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm, near Dargaville, was officially broken in March by Mercury chief executive Stew Hamilton and Energy Minister Simon Watts.
DoC said the specific details of the Bird Collision Monitoring Plan and how it would be implemented and enforced were a matter for the KDC.
The council said the developer was obligated to follow the plan, the studies for which it commissioned, or it would breach the resource consents.
Mercury’s executive general manager development, Matt Tolcher, said the company knew how much Kiwis cared about the natural environment.
“It’s something we see strongly in the communities we’re in, all around the country.
“We share this care as well, and are immensely proud of the efforts our people put into protecting the natural habitat and wildlife,” Tolcher said.
“These efforts include initiatives aimed at improving the habitat for wetland birds around Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm.”
Tolcher said a community drop-in sesson about the Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm is on Thursday June 12 at the Lions Centre in Dargaville.
“We also have a Community Consultative Group, a project webpage and send out email updates."
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
