Ann: GENERAL: NWF: NZ Windfarms confirms changes sought to Te Rere Hau consent

• Release Date: 28/08/14 16:17
• Summary: GENERAL: NWF: NZ Windfarms confirms changes sought to Te Rere Hau consent
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					NWF
28/08/2014 16:17
GENERAL

REL: 1617 HRS NZ Windfarms Limited

GENERAL: NWF: NZ Windfarms confirms changes sought to Te Rere Hau consent

NZ Windfarms confirms changes sought to Te Rere Hau consent

NZ Windfarms Limited (NWF) has today applied to the Palmerston North City
Council for changes in some conditions to the Land Use Consent granted in
2005 for the Te Rere Hau wind farm.

The Chief Executive Officer of NWF, Chris Sadler, said the application was
designed to clarify technical issues in regard to noise output from the wind
farm. "Our wish is to bring these issues to a conclusion, and to do so in a
way that meets the needs of all parties involved - the community, the Council
and the company," Mr Sadler said.

The application follows several years of discussion with residents and the
Council, and legal process in the Environment Court, High Court and Court of
Appeal. "We think the issues are best resolved through agreement at the local
level on the conditions of the Land Use Consent, and there is now enough
information available for that to be achieved," he said.

Prior to applying for the changes NWF has carried out extensive noise
monitoring at locations around the wind farm. These show it is in compliance
with specific noise level conditions in the existing consent at the
representative sites. The difficulty in recording adequate data across the
full range of conditions necessitated an extended monitoring process.

The changes proposed are designed to enable compliance to be assessed clearly
and any necessary remedial actions to be identified. A summary is available
on the NWF website www.nzwindfarms.co.nz

Mr Sadler said clarity on these issues would benefit all parties involved.
"From the company's point of view, we would be able to move on from the
uncertainty inherent in the current situation, whereby it is difficult to
invest in noise monitoring and remedial actions without clarity about what is
required."

"From the Council perspective, we would see benefits from the existence of
clear expectations, monitoring and reporting. We are committed to work with
the Council and the local community on constructively resolving issues
concerning noise - rather than further litigation. The litigation is costing
all parties a significant sum of money. We are anxious to focus on a
practical resolution of the issues."

BACKGROUND

Te Rere Hau is a 48.5 megawatt wind farm situated on the Tararua Ranges near
Palmerston North. It has a consented footprint of 97 turbines, 65 of which
have been built and are operational. The turbine sites are located in rows
along a series of spurs radiating off the main Tararua ridgeline.

NWF, the owner and operator of Te Rere Hau, is headquartered in Palmerston
North and employs seventeen people in management, administration and
technical roles.

Te Rere Hau generated 122,556 MWh (megawatt hours) of renewable electricity
in its latest financial year, with revenue of $6.9 million, of which about 35
percent is disbursed locally in wages and other operating costs.

The Land Use Consent for Te Rere Hau contains:
- A general condition requiring the wind farm to be constructed and operated
generally in accordance with the information contained in its resource
consent application (condition 1); and
- Specific conditions setting standards in relation to allowable noise levels
received at sensitive residential locations nearby, along with monitoring
conditions (conditions 4 and 5).

The sound power output of the turbines at source is 4 to 5 dBA (A-weighted
decibels) higher than stated in the original application documents, and in
turn the wind turbine generated sound levels in the surrounding environment
are, in some conditions, higher than predicted in the consent application
documents; however, the wind turbine generated sound levels in the
surrounding environment comply with the specific noise conditions contained
in the Land Use Consent.

The changes sought by NWF are sought under section 127 of the Resource
Management Act. They would have the effect of making it clear that:
- The only noise standard for the wind farm would be that listed in condition
4 of the consent (40 dBA L95 or the background sound level + 5dBA, whichever
is higher)
- Condition 5 would reflect the recommendations contained in a report
prepared for this purpose by a panel of acoustics experts.

For further enquiries contact:
Chris Sadler
Chief Executive Officer
End CA:00254547 For:NWF    Type:GENERAL    Time:2014-08-28 16:17:54