News release

6 July 2006

Wind power initiative in south Wairarapa

Greater Wellington regional council is to invite power generation companies to investigate and develop a wind farm at Stoney Creek in south Wairarapa.

About 20km from Martinborough, the Stoney Creek property was bought in 1989 for soil conservation purposes and planted with pines.

“We have achieved significant conservation improvements, such as stabilisation of slips, but the possibility of wind power generation gives the area much more economic potential. It’s an exciting addition to our region’s potential for creating sustainable energy,” says Wairarapa councillor Rick Long.

One of the area’s elevated ridges is adjacent to Genesis Energy’s Hau Nui wind farm development, which suggests a wind farm could be an ideal use for part of  the land, says Murray Kennedy, Greater Wellington Divisional Manager of Water Supply, Parks and Forests.

“Our information is that this land could support a wind farm of 50-60 MW. We’d have to upgrade the existing roadway along the ridge and remove some of the pine trees up there, but as they aren’t growing as fast as the others lower down, because of the wind, we don’t see that as a problem.”

Councillor Long says a good thing about this potential development is that there are no conflicting policy issues.

“Other areas we have looked at for wind power have possible alternative uses in the future, such as for water catchment, or may impinge on regional parks, but this is a simple case where we only need to comply with the local District Plan.”

If a wind farm proceeds it would require a strip of land about 50m wide and 8km long, totalling less than 2% of the overall Stoney Creek area of 2185 hectares.

The Council approved the proposal at their meeting on 29 ^th June.

  For more information, please contact:

Murray Kennedy

Divisional Manager, Water Supply, Parks and Forests

Greater Wellington Regional Council
P 04 381 7791   027 445 2143

Email: Murray.Kennedy@gw.govt.nz