A final decision on whether the wind farm development at Slopedown near Wyndham is granted consent with conditions is expected to be released by the three-person panel next Thursday.
The panel was set up under Covid-19 fast-track legislation. It drafted a set of conditions and sought comment from submitters.
A minute by the panel released this week after the submissions were reviewed by the panel said some agreement had been reached.
But there remained "what appear to be insurmountable difficulties" in several key areas between submitters and Contact.
Those areas include wetland protection, lizards, invertebrates, landscape and amenity.
The company is planning to set up a community benefit fund. It will provide an initial contribution of $100,000 and a minimum of $50,000 per year — indexed for inflation — during construction and operation of the project. It will also contribute an additional $200 per year for every MW over 200MW generated.
The fund is expected to return about $2.8m to the local community over the expected project life of 30 years.
West Catlins Preservation Society spokesman Dean Rabbidge said when contacted yesterday no matter what amount was given by Contact Energy it would not be enough to cover the harm done to the community by the building of the wind farm.
He called it bribery of a community which had lived in peace and thrived.
The panel backed the society.
"The panel agrees this sum could not be seen as anything anywhere near a ‘substantial’ fund for the community, given their feedback about the long-term adverse effects (over several generations) and the expected profit from the project over its life," the panel wrote in the minute.
Mr Rabbidge said he was glad the society had stayed in the process this long and Contact might win the first battle but the society would stay in the fight.
The panel also asked questions of Contact Energy around what it would do about compensation for loss of property values, community consultation undertaken, shifting of turbines, tree planting and paying for double glazing at some properties close to turbines.
It also asked Contact whether it was taking an all-or-nothing approach as to whether it might be willing to move or get rid of some turbines.
