Project focuses on solar farm instead of housing development

The project would offer innovative farming techniques such as vertical greenhouses and microalgae...
The project would offer innovative farming techniques such as vertical greenhouses and microalgae farms. Photo: Getty Images
A new way of farming could find its home on the banks of the Rakaia River.

North Rakaia Ltd wants to put a solar farm and agricultural innovation campus called  Kilvarock Solar Village on 124 hectares of land on North Rakaia and South Two Chain Rds.

It was originally proposed to have 900 residential units, 200 of which would be contained in 33 three-storey apartment buildings, plus educational facilities, a supermarket, and agriculture production for animals and plants, all powered by an on-site solar farm.   

Project manager James Lunday said the company has now parked the housing to focus on the solar farm and innovation hub.

“There’s a whole range of things we are going to do, the one thing we’re not doing is housing,” he said.

Lunday said it is too difficult under current regulations to set up a new township.

He said stage one will be getting consent for the solar farm.

“We’re expecting a consent by Christmas and we’re expecting to be building next year.”

Lunday said the solar farm has an expected output of 400 megawatts, which will power the innovation hub as well as provide power back to the national grid.

Once the solar is built they will then focus on the innovation campus and agriculture production. 

It will likely include vertical greenhouses, microalgae farms, biotech facilities and a sheep milk powder factory.

Lunday said the innovation campus is about creating value out of rural products.

Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
In March, a vertical farm in Hamilton received $3.5 million funding from the Ministry of Primary Industries.

“One hectare of greenhouse can produce as many vegetables as a 300-hectare farm with 70 per cent reduction in water and fertilisers,” Lunday said.

He said buildings would not be on productive land, and their addition would greatly improve the land’s productivity output.

Between the solar panel rows, they are looking to either have crops or animals grazing.

“Grass grows better under solar because you use water for irrigation because it provides some shade.”

Environment Minister David Parker did not refer the original project, including the housing, to the Environmental Protection Authority as part of the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020, which came to an end in July.

Instead, he referred the project to the district council.

On the ministry’s website, it said the reasons for the decision were: “The Minister for the Environment considers it is more appropriate for the project to go through standard consenting processes under the Resource Management Act 1991.

“The minister was also not satisfied that the project will help to achieve the purpose of the FTCA and therefore it does not meet the referral criteria in section 18 of the FTCA.”

Lunday said they were prepared for it not to make fast-track and have begun looking at options with the district council.

As part of the fast-track process, the district council was asked to provide feedback on the project.

“The proposal was contrary to the council’s strategic planning documents that direct new urban development to occur in a form that concentrates or attaches to existing urban areas rather than creating new ones and contrary to proposed and operative District Plans (urban development in a rural zone) contrary to the National Policy Statement Highly Productive Land,” district council head of resource consents Emma Larsen said.

Larsen said while the project did not make fast-track, it would not affect any future applications to the district council.

“Any application received by the council is processed on its merits.”