Wind power companies offering farmers lucrative contracts for turbine sites are driving a wedge between some country communities as neighbours are forced to "pay up or put up" with noise disruption and possible health problems. Three farmers involved with new wind farms told Rural News that power company negotiators tell farmers there will be no potential noise or health problems from turbines, in spite of contrary evidence from international researchers. One farmer says he signed up for 14 turbines, to earn $140,000 per year for 40 years, after being told by the power company that the turbines would be "ecofriendly". Now he thinks he should have done more research.

Wind power companies offering farmers lucrative contracts for turbine sites are driving a wedge between some country communities as neighbours are forced to "pay up or put up" with noise disruption and possible health problems.

Three farmers involved with new wind farms told Rural News that power company negotiators tell farmers there will be no potential noise or health problems from turbines, in spite of contrary evidence from international researchers.

One farmer says he signed up for 14 turbines, to earn $140,000 per year for 40 years, after being told by the power company that the turbines would be "ecofriendly". Now he thinks he should have done more research.

Another was told nothing about possible adverse effects at an open day held to discuss 120 giant 147-metre turbines planned 2.5km from his home near Gore.

A third, Ian Manson, Paerau, is chairman of a group of five farmers each putting up $10,000 to fight Meridian Energy's proposed 176 turbines - 160m tall - likely to dominate the landscape on hills above their homes. The closest turbine will be 1.4km from Paerau primary school.

The farmers have hired a lawyer, planner and landscape architect to fight their case.

Manson says all the houses on farm signatories will be within a kilometre of turbines "and if there is a noise problem they will have it".

Locals have struggled for years to maintain the school, now down to nine pupils, with the nearest school 50km away at Ranfurly.

Manson chairs the Maniatoto Environmental Society - set up to fight Meridian's resource consent hearing by Central Otago District Council on April 30.

He says five of the 10 stations in the Styx Valley have signed up for turbines, and are said to have been offered up to $12,000 per turbine per year, but none will talk about it publicly.

His group sent a team to talk to people living near Meridian's Te Apiti wind farm in Manawatu.

"People are having major problems there," he says. "We talked to the brother of one farmer who abandoned his house because it was unliveable."

He says the cost factor is a major hassle for landowners opposing wind farm consents. Makara Guardians, near Wellington, are trying to raise $100,000 from 170 members to cover Environment Court costs for their case against Meridian's planned West Wind project, where turbines will be sited on only two farms, one owned by Meridian.

 

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