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invited people and entities such as the West
Catlins Preservation Society, all adjacent landowners, multiple district and regional councils, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, and multiple government ministers. Comments were required by 25 July 2024 and were published shortly after that. The EPA has also sought more information from Contact Energy on multiple occasions, such as light spill distances, dwellings near the wind farm, and why Contact did not prepare management plans in consultation with Te Ao Mārama Inc, the iwi liaison entity for Southland's four rūnanga.
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214:, is for 55 turbines that are 220 metres base to tip, with a total a maximum generation of 300MW. The site of the project is about 5,500 hectares sitting about 15 km east of Wyndham. Contact Energy has stated the project would take two and a half years to install and another 12 months for 'site rehabilitation', and that it would have 160-240 jobs during construction and 10-14 jobs once operational.
284:
to use it. The fast-track process gives the decision to an expert consenting panel. The chair of the panel is Clare
Leniham, who began as an environmental and public law barrister in 2012 and has over 20 years of experience advising and acting in resource management law, conservation and public law and land law. The EPA will provide advice and administrative support to the panel.
228:. This smelter uses 13% of New Zealand's electricity, and has been considering closing subject to power price negotiations. If it did, Southland would have a large surplus of electricity generation and this could affect the viability of the Southland Wind Farm. However, Contact Energy have also said that power demand in Southland is growing, and if
262:. It would be Contact's first wind power station. This new version initially proposed 50 turbines, but this was later increased to 55. Contact said that if approved, construction would start in 2025. The project was initially estimated to cost $ 700 m to $ 900 m, though by November 2023 this was revised to $ 1 billion.
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The fast-track process blocks the general public from the resource consent process, and
Southland District Council opposed the use of the fast-track process because of this. However, the panel is still required under the law to invite written comments on the application from certain groups. The panel
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approval under the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track
Consenting) Act 2020. Contact Energy lodged a resource consent application with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in December 2023. The laws creating the fast-track process have since been repealed but Contact's application was filed in time
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In August 2024, after public feedback was published, the consent application was paused at
Contact Energy's request. Contact requested the pause so it could address the matters raised "and where necessary, work through issues with commenters". Contact stated it expected the pause "to be a month or
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The proposal faces opposition by the West
Catlins Preservation Society. Members have stated that the project would visually impact the area, and affect the environment and wildlife. They have also questioned the need for more power generation in the province, and suggested that if more power is
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in June 2010. But by 2011 Genesis said the project was not a priority as the company focused its attention elsewhere, such as a wind farm in
Wairarapa. The project had already attracted opposition, such as from the West Catlins Preservation Society which had concerns about the visual impact.
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needed that hydroelectric stations would be preferable. A petition against the project received at least 200 signatures. Part of the wind farm site has been identified as an "outstanding natural landscape" in a report commissioned by four
Southland councils in 2018 and finalised in 2019.
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The project was originally proposed by Wind
Prospect CWP (NZ) Ltd in 2008. Wind Prospect's initial proposal was for a 150MW wind farm (50 turbines of 3MW each). The project was purchased by
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of New
Zealand. If built it would be the largest wind farm in New Zealand. A wind farm on this site was first proposed in 2008, but did not progress. The idea was revived in 2023 by
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221:. Other proposals for similar or larger wind farms exist, such as the Kaihiku Wind Farm which would also be in the Catlins and is also proposed to be 300MW.
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If the site is built out to the proposed 300MW it would be the largest wind farm in the country ahead of today's largest, the
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plants were electrified this would consume "quite a significant chunk" of the wind farm's generation.
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Ministry for the Environment - Decision to consider Southland Wind Farm under the fast-track process
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603:"Contact Energy's proposed 50-turbine Southland windfarm will cost $ 900 million to build"
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652:"Opposition to Contact's proposed 50-turbine wind farm grows in Southland"
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202:, and is opposed by some nearby residents mainly on its visual impact.
792:"Persons identified to be invited to comment on Southland Wind Farm"
579:"Contact Energy plans to build a 50-turbine wind farm in Southland"
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In July 2023 the project was accepted for fast-tracking towards
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Whether the project goes ahead may be tied to the future of the
719:"Wind Farm consent lodged; preservation society 'devastated'"
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This article about a New Zealand building or structure is a
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680:"EPA requests further details about proposed wind-farm"
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626:"Community fight proposed Southland wind farm"
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552:"Slopedown wind farm not a priority: Genesis"
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414:"Slopedown project now costing $ 1 billion"
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210:The latest version of the proposal, by
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258:In 2023 the proposal was revived by
385:"Wind farm pause for 'month or so'"
882:Proposed wind farms in New Zealand
835:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by
442:"Wind farm linked to Tiwai future"
254:Revived proposal by Contact Energy
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558:from the original on 27 June 2021
528:from the original on 12 July 2023
518:"$ 390m Southland wind farm plan"
491:Harding, Evan (9 November 2023).
198:The project is currently seeking
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717:Evan Harding (11 January 2024).
767:"Comments from invited parties"
678:Kelly, Rachael (17 July 2024).
341:"Wind farm pause 'not unusual'"
650:Rachael Kelly (23 July 2023).
339:Andrews, Ben (7 August 2024).
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745:Otago Daily Times Online News
741:"Panel for Contact wind farm"
624:Diane Bishop (15 June 2023).
577:Kelly, Rachael (2023-05-11).
550:Alana Dixon (15 April 2011).
522:Otago Daily Times Online News
516:Conway, Glenn (28 May 2008).
446:Otago Daily Times Online News
418:Otago Daily Times Online News
226:Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter
275:Resource consent application
383:Andrews, Ben (2024-08-03).
150:Annual net output
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363:: CS1 maint: url-status (
175:, also referred to as the
790:Expert Consenting Panel.
302:Wind power in New Zealand
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219:222MW Turitea Wind Farm
247:Genesis Energy Limited
69:46.35111°S 169.06833°E
686:. The Southland Times
144:Power generation
605:. Stuff. 26 May 2023
74:-46.35111; 169.06833
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887:The Catlins
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154:900-1200GWh
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60:169°04′06″E
48:Coordinates
34:New Zealand
876:Categories
776:2024-07-31
751:2024-07-31
725:11 January
690:2024-07-31
588:2023-07-12
502:2024-07-31
477:2024-07-31
452:2024-07-31
424:2024-07-31
394:2024-08-08
350:2024-08-08
323:References
266:Opposition
230:Fonterra's
131:up to 170m
123:up to 135m
57:46°21′04″S
554:. Stuff.
181:wind farm
556:Archived
526:Archived
359:cite web
296:See also
206:Proposal
93:Owner(s)
88:Proposed
40:Location
804:31 July
721:. Stuff
658:23 July
654:. Stuff
632:12 July
628:. Stuff
609:12 July
562:13 July
532:13 July
236:History
187:in the
185:Wyndham
30:Country
85:Status
795:(PDF)
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