The current Minister of Resources has questioned the decision.
New Zealand refuses to advance its large wind turbine farms in the south.
An independent expert consent panel established under the New Zealand Covid-19 Recovery (First Track Consent) Act, passed in 2020, reduced resource consent for 330 megawatt wind farms in Southland, near the bottom of the country’s southern island.
It was expected to produce approximately 1,200 GWh of additional generation, or approximately 3.07% of the country’s needs, producing up to 150,000 households.
Contact energy from a large “gentlemen” (utilities that own generation assets and sell electricity directly to the public) was behind the proposal.
CEO Mike Fuge said in a statement to the NZ Stock Exchange (NZX) that the panel’s rejection “represents a significant setback to the decarbonisation of New Zealand, the contact’s mission to improve power security in its supply and the country’s economic development mission.
“Like Southland Wind Farms, renewable energy investment and construction is in the national interest and is important to relying on reducing natural gas supply and providing affordable, clean and safe electricity to all New Zealanders,” Fuge said.
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The panel agreed to the project’s estimated power generation and acknowledged the possibility of supporting the goal of doubling the overall power from renewable sources by 2050.
However, it stated that it “does not meet any adverse effects on serious indigenous plants. Important habitats (regions) of indigenous faunas may be offset or compensated in a manner that accomplishes the objectives of the rapid tracking consent law.
“The project urgently promotes employment to support New Zealand’s recovery from the economic and social impacts of Covid-19 and can support the certainty of ongoing investments across New Zealand, but the environmental impact is so much that the project does not promote sustainable management of natural and physical resources,” the panel’s report states.
The 58.5 hectares of indigenous plants are mostly wetlands and tussocks, and 3.18 hectares of forest. These include several native bird species that are classified as blackmailed, while others are considered at risk or declined.
This decision can be appealed to the High Court within 15 business days, but can only be appealed at points of law, either by the applicant or by the person invited to comment during the application process.
“We strongly believe that projects like this will benefit all of New Zealand. We will take the time to review decisions and evaluate the next steps available,” Fuge said.
The proposal first floated when Labour was in power, with both Energy Minister Megan Woods and Environment Minister David Parker assisting in its construction in 2023.
