Mighty River Power - Turitea Wind Farm

Karen Price and Senior Associate Helen Andrews advised Mighty River Power throughout the scoping, feasibility, consultation and consenting process for the Turitea Wind Farm, a 288MW wind farm proposed to be located in the Tararua Ranges near Palmerston North.

Due to its national significance, the Turitea Wind Farm was called in by the Minister for the Environment in December 2008 and referred to a Board of Inquiry for determination. The hearing ran from July 2009 – March 2010, and the outcome of the hearing is expected to be received later this year.

The proposed site of the Turitea Wind Farm is considered one of the best wind generation sites in the world. The Turitea Wind Farm is expected to have an installed capacity of up to 288MW, up to 105 turbine zones and have an estimated construction cost of NZD$771 million.

As part of the Turitea Wind Farm will be situated in a reserve containing the Palmerston North City water supply, the ChanceryGreen team has been involved in a series of complex negotiations with the Department of Conservation and councils to develop a long term ecological mitigation package to ensure environmental impacts on the reserve and water supply are minimised.