The application for the 55-turbine wind farm, near Wyndham, is being processed under the Fast-track Approvals Act after being turned down by the Covid-19 fast-track legislation.
The proposal is in the home straight with draft conditions set by the fast-track panel and comments on the conditions submitted by stakeholders and the applicant.
Contact Energy said in its submission it agreed with many of the suggested changes to the conditions but still wanted a 60-year term.
The panel said it agreed with the Department of Conservation that due to the prevalence of wind farms, and proposed wind farms, both across New Zealand and in Southland specifically, the proposed wind farm in this application was not outside the normal range of circumstances.
Nor did the expected operational life of the proposed wind farm structures and the essential nature of both the proposed right of way and transmission line create an exceptional circumstance, it said.
It found the term of the concession should be 30 years.
Contact Energy said a 60-year term was consistent with the purpose of the fast-track legislation, and a 30-year term would potentially hinder the delivery of the project’s national and regional benefits.
The fast-track process was introduced to facilitate the delivery of infrastructure and development projects with significant regional or national benefits.
Contact wanted to emphasise the project was out of the ordinary in terms of the scale of renewable electricity it would generate.
‘‘As the panel recorded in its draft decision, this project is said to have the capacity to be the largest producer of wind-generated electricity in New Zealand, an assertion that appears unchallenged. At that scale it seems all but axiomatic that it will have regional or national significance,’’ Contact Energy counsel Dave Randal said.
Certainty of land tenure was an important factor in infrastructure investment decisions. The project could require an investment of more than $1billion, with that investment of course unlocking the significant regional and national benefits the panel had found the project would deliver, Mr Randal said.
A review of other permissions granted highlighted Doc granted easement concession for terms longer than 30 years on a regular basis, including in relation to power reticulation.
Granting the easements for a 60-year term met the ‘‘exceptional circumstances’’ term in the Conservation Act, and was directly aligned with the enabling purpose of the FTAA and the importance of delivering significant decarbonisation and other benefits. It was also consistent with the purposes of the Conservation Act.
The three main councils which legislated over land the wind farm would cover, the Gore District Council, Southland District Council and Environment Southland, all more or less agreed to the conditions.
The West Catlins Preservation Society, a group of residents in the wind farm’s location who oppose the wind farm, was disappointed with the use of management plans, which it said bypassed public scrutiny.
‘‘The most affected people despite your draft decision to the contrary, the local community, have no say in the management plans. It’s too uncertain and kicks your duty to touch,’’ the society said in its comment.
A community fund should have an initial $1million with an annual support of $100,000 not an initial fund of $200,000 and annual support of $70,000 as Contact Energy wanted. The power company had granted scholarships and free power to four marae in Southland.
The society had said in its comments it had asked for a scholarship for a Menzies College student heading to tertiary study and free power for the Wyndham Primary School, Menzies College and Wyndham Swimming Pool.
‘‘Instead, this was turned down and free power is going to be given to a marae as far away as Riverton.
‘‘Has everyone forgotten about the local affected community?’’
