$500m Wind Farm at Consent Stage; TrustPower to Brief Communities Next Week

By GERKEN, Sonia in Gore

TRUSTPOWER is set to lodge a resource consent application for a $500 million wind farm at Kaiwera Downs, south of Gore, which the company predicts will pump millions of dollars into the Southland economy.

With project details finalised and effects fully assessed, TrustPower will reveal all at information evenings in Invercargill and Gore next week, in the leadup to consent applications being filed with the Gore District Council on October 19.

TrustPower community relations manager Graeme Purches yesterday said the project was going to have a significant impact on the province’s economy. When TrustPower expanded its Tararua wind farm, an estimated $50 million was injected into the local economy in 18 months, he said. The construction of the wind farm, which was likely to be carried out in two stages, would create up to 50 jobs and there would be eight permanent jobs.

Bluff was also set to benefit with imported equipment going through the port, Mr Purches said.

Mr Purches said the wind farm would cover 2568ha and run through four or five properties. There would be between 80 and 83 turbines on site, delivering a maximum output of 240MW.

The site was 15km south-east of Gore and near State Highway 93, also known as Old Coach Rd.

The nature of the landscape meant turbines would be visible, some from as far away as Gore, he said.

However, to the naked eye they would be “pretty inconspicuous” from the town, he said.

A visual simulation of the wind farm would be on display at the information nights at the Ascot Park Hotel, Invercargill, on Tuesday and James Cumming Wing, Gore, on Wednesday. Both start at 7pm.

(c) 2007 Southland Times, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.