Managing Director Allan Berge said MainPower believed there was very strong support for the Mt Cass wind farm in North Canterbury. “This is emphasized by an analysis of submissions on the resource consent application, with a very significant majority supporting it. It is interesting to note that a large percentage of opposing submissions were from people living outside North Canterbury.
“We have also had a lot of encouragement from the local community to appeal the decision.”
Berge said the Commissioners considering the consent application had made many positive determinations, including that the visual impacts of the wind farm were acceptable, that noise effects would not be vital and that it was unlikely there would be adverse effects on recreation and tourism.
However, in declining the application the Commissioners had disregarded many of the advantages of the conservation work that the company had proposed to address the environmental impacts of the wind farm, Berge said.
Berge said MainPower would obviously prefer not to have to go to the Environment Court, but it had always expected this was a possibility given the strong views some people developed on major projects, and because of the complexity of the issues.
“In addition, increased generation capacity and diversity of supply are critical to New Zealand meeting its current and future energy requirements.”
