Kakanui Mountains could be wind farm site

The Kakanui Mountains in North Otago are being investigated by a new company for a wind farm to generate electricity.

Waitaki Wind, set up recently by former Meridian Energy Ltd chief executive Keith Turner and former Waitaki mayor Alan McLay, is negotiating with landowners on the Kakanui Mountains to get access to start monitoring, according to evidence at the Environment Court yesterday.

The company, in which Mr McLay and Dr Turner are sole shareholders and directors, has pre-empted a similar move by North Otago consumer-owned power lines company Network Waitaki, which was also considering the Kakanui Mountains with Windflow Technology Ltd.

Further details on Waitaki Wind's activities came from consulting engineer Ken Mitchell, of Oamaru, during the court hearing yesterday into Meridian's plan to build the north bank tunnel hydro electricity scheme on the Waitaki River. Mr Mitchell is not involved with Waitaki Wind.

Network Waitaki chief executive Graham Clark confirmed his company had considered the Kakanui Mountains for a possible wind farm as part of studies it was doing into sites for possible wind or hydro-electric generation.

It was no longer looking at the Kakanuis, but would be "interested in any generation options" of a size that would integrate with its network.

"The Kakanui ranges was one we believed to be a good site [for a wind farm]," he said.

Mr McLay said Waitaki Wind, which formed only recently, was reviewing options, but could not be specific at this stage where they were.

Waitaki Wind was interested in all areas of potential in the district for development as a community asset and to benefit the community. The Otago Daily Times reported on Tuesday that Waitaki Wind had been formed to investigate wind farm sites in the central South Island.

Dr Turner said then the new company was "just an idea that has not gone particularly far yet".

He said it was too early to say where possible wind sites could be.

But Mr Mitchell told the court yesterday Waitaki Wind was negotiating with landowners on the Kakanui Mountains to get access to their properties to set up wind monitoring sites.

He said he had "personal knowledge of developments up there", because he acted as a consultant to Network Waitaki, which had looked at similar sites jointly with Windflow Technology Ltd.

Network Waitaki-Windflow had also approached landowners on the Kakanui Mountains for access rights, he said.

Mr Mitchell was giving evidence on behalf of of the Lower Waitaki River Management Society, which is opposing Meridian's north bank tunnel scheme on the Waitaki River.

david.bruce@odt.co.nz [1]