Newsletter: September 2005 (Note: all external links open in a new window)
West Wind
There is a proposal to develop at wind farm at Makara (www.meridianenergy.co.nz/WindProjects/).
Below is the submission to council. Here is a thread on wind farms on the Paragliding Forum, which has some interesting comments.
SUBMISSION ON AN APPLICATION FOR RESOURCE CONSENT UNDER SECTION 96 OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACT 1991
To: Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council
DETAILS OF SUBMITTER
Sven Kristian Frederick Ericksen
President
Wellington Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club (WHGPC)
PO Box 9824
Wellington
1. DETAILS OF RESOURCE CONSENT APPLICATION
This submission relates to an application for a Resource Consent made by:
Applicant’s Name: MERIDIAN ENERGY LTD
For: land use consents
To: construct a wind farm. (WCC SRN 131428, GWRC Ref: WGN060001)
2. SUBMISSION STATEMENT
The WHGPC supports the application made by Meridian Energy Limited
The particular part or parts of the application we support are:
The proposal in its entirety.
3. REASONS FOR SUBMISSION
The reasons for making our submission are:
The project provides an opportunity to open up the area for hang gliding and paragliding of the coastal ridges by providing road access. The area is currently not used for flying due to current access difficulties. No turbines are proposed for sites that are near potential coastal ridge soaring sites. The area does not have any potential for “inland” flying and the presence of wind turbines will have no adverse effects on current or potential hang gliding or paragliding activity in this locality. The wind turbines are sufficiently widely spaced, in the unlikely event of hang gliders or paragliders flying into the area with wind turbines, for pilots to avoid them. The turbines present no greater danger than aerials or pylons - structures that pilots regularly avoid.
An example of a flying site co-located with a wind farm is “Sandpatch” in Western Australia. Information about this site is here: http://www.hgfa.asn.au/%7Ehgawa/sites/albany/albany.html#sandpatch
4. COMMENTS ON DECISION OF AUTHORITY
We wish the consent authority to make the following decision:
That the consent authority approves the application in full.
The WHGPC seeks that conditions be included in the consent that allows for controlled or authorised recreational vehicular access to launch and landing sites in the vicinity of Opau Bay and Tongue Point. (The club currently has controlled vehicle access, via locked gates, to two other flying sites: Mt Climie and Pukerua Bay – an arrangement that is satisfactory to the land owners and other users.)
5. HEARING
We do not wish to be heard in support of our submission.
Signature: _______________________________
Date:
Address for service of person making submission:
Kris Ericksen
President
Wellington Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club
PO Box 9824
Wellington
Telephone: 04 938 6539
Copied to:
Richard Little
Consents Manager
Meridian Energy Limited
PO Box 10 840
WELLINGTON
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