Opposition voiced to wind farm plan

The proposed Waverley Wind Farm could look like this.

Only four of 24 submissions on the proposed Waverley Wind Farm support it - and Ngati Ruanui have called the lack of consultation with them "shameful".

Trustpower has applied to South Taranaki District Council for consent to build, operate and maintain a 48-turbine wind farm on 980 hectares of coastal land between Waverley and Patea. The consent was publicly notified and the deadline for submissions was last Thursday.

The content of the submissions will now be assessed to decide whether more information is needed, council planning manager Blair Sutherland said.

Noise and visual effects were the most common reasons people offered for opposing the wind farm.

Several were also concerned about visual effects of the transmission line proposed between it and a substation in Waverley's Mangatangi Rd.

Many said the 160m turbines or transmission line would affect their views, often a prized view of Mount Taranaki. In her submission Patea resident Sally Sisson said local people did not need the electricity themselves.

"The communities of Waverley and Pate have to live with the turbines and transmission lines ... This feels like our environment is being sacrificed to provide electricity for other end users.

"A few donations to local groups by Trustpower by no means makes up for what we are losing if this project proceeds."

Both the Conservation Department and Fish & Game are concerned about the effect of the development on birds, including endangered migratory ones, and on fish and eels in ponds and a stream. Both want to speak at any hearing, as do Powerco and the Ngaa Rauru tribe.

Neighbouring Ngati Ruanui said Trustpower failed to take into account its relationship with the Whenuakura River and the impact of the turbines on the town of Patea.

The iwi should have been asked for a cultural impact analysis, Te Runanga o Ngati Ruanui Trust chairman Haimona Maruera said.

Without it the application was incomplete, and the council should not have accepted it.

Electricity and gas distributor Powerco didn't support or oppose the application, but wanted to make sure nothing would affect its network.

Also neutral was Heritage New Zealand, but it wanted Trustpower to ask for more wide-ranging authority to deal with any archaeological sites it might find, and to consult Ngati Ruanui.

Ngaa Rauru has been the main iwi consulted.

It opposed the application until its own cultural impact assessment was finished and until strict conditions were agreed to, though it said renewable electricity generation was good in principle.

The Parininihi ki Waitotara Incorporation supported the application subject to limiting conditions.

The other supporters were Sustainable Whanganui, the New Zealand Wind Energy Association and Wind Farm Developments, which said using wind to generate electricity cut down on climate-changing carbon emissions.