A farmer involved in the Turitea Wind Farm proposal has told a board of inquiry he wants some turbines axed by Mighty River Power reinstated. John Love said the power company's redesign, which saw 17 turbines removed from its proposal, created "illogical gaps" in the wind farm layout. Some turbines cut from the project should instead have been moved, he said.

Experts could be summonsed to the Turitea Wind Farm board of inquiry as acoustic consultants argue over whether a new noise standard will be effective in protecting nearby residents. One expert, Philip Dickinson, has broken ranks with acoustic experts on the appropriateness of the new standard and has been scathing about potential negative health effects, including sleep disruption.

A resident furious about the spread of wind farms has warned of dire consequences if major developments proceed. Annie Gardner lives on a property east of Macarthur and formed a local Landscape Guardians group in 2005 after Southern Hydro announced plans to build Australia's largest wind farm on her boundary.

Michael Feyen was giving evidence before a government-appointed board of inquiry yesterday, opposing the wind farm Mighty River Power wants to build about 10 kilometres southeast of the city centre. The council has a contractual agreement with the state-owned enterprise as landowner of the proposed site. But Mr Feyen said if the project was denied resource consent, the council would change its district plan to prevent any further wind farms being built.

A state-owned power company is warning that its proposed Turitea wind farm may not go ahead if the project is constrained any further. Mighty River Power's lawyer made the comment before a Government-appointed board of inquiry on the first day of the restarted resource consent hearing yesterday.

The Moorabool Shire Council has called for a review of how wind farm planning applications are processed, saying 60-days is not long enough to make a decision. The call comes after Pacific Hydro took its application for the proposed wind farm in Yaloak directly to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

The overall visual impact of Mighty River Power's redesigned Turitea Wind Farm proposal is nearly the same as the impact of the previous plan, according to a landscape expert. Cutting some turbines from the proposal made a big difference at some viewpoints, but their dominance on the skyline was "essentially unchanged", said landscape architect for Palmerston North City Council, Clive Anstey.

Engineers are warning that the need to provide back up for intermittent wind-generated electricity is emerging as a significant concern for maintaining supply when hydro lakes are low in dry years. A new report on this country's electricity generation also said that the Institution of Professional Engineers of New Zealand (Ipenz) considered that the target of producing 90 percent of New Zealand's electricity from renewables by 2025 was never practical, and it recommended the government remove the target.

The round of Turitea wind farm hearings starting today are likely to be the last - and the decision could have major implications for the future of wind generation in New Zealand, an industry expert says. Mighty River Power's proposal to build a wind farm about 10 kilometres southeast of Palmerston North has drawn debate and delay since it was publicly notified on January 24 last year.

Three quarters of the people who want a board of inquiry to listen to their arguments about the redesigned Turitea Wind Farm proposal won't get the chance to present their views aloud. Just 26 submitters out of 103 who indicated they wanted to speak have been given a slot by the board.

A new player in the south-west wind energy market is preparing to launch a major project near Penshurst. Res Australia has confirmed its interest in building turbines on farmland near the small community, with executives to meet local residents in the next eight weeks. The Department of Primary Industries website lists the farm as capable of generating up to 625 megawatts of electricity.

People who want to tell a board of inquiry what they think of the redesigned Turitea Wind Farm proposal will soon find out if the board wants to hear from them. Of 225 submitters on Mighty River Power's adjusted proposal, 103 people said they wanted to speak to the board, but the board is unlikely to give all of them a slot at the hearing, which resumes in Palmerston North next week.

Western Plains Landscape Guardians spokeswoman Cassie Franzose said the group requested 10 hours to be heard at the hearings, with two experts to speak on their behalf. The group will address issues including noise and health impacts, visual and landscape impacts and aviation lighting on the turbines.

The major contractual partners of the proposed Turitea Wind Farm near Palmerston North are slightly closer to agreement, but remain a long way from seeing eye to eye. Mighty River Power wants up to 104 turbines. Palmerston North City Council senior planner Jeff Baker believes 28 would be acceptable.

The Energy and Resources Minister, Peter Batchelor says the State Government is prepared to investigate fears that noise from wind turbines is causing health problems. Some residents near the Waubra wind farm, west of Ballarat say a low-frequency noise from the turbines is making them sick.

NZ Windfarms has reported a $6.53 million first-half loss fuelled by low electricity prices and asset impairments. The wind farm operator is now focused on a sizeable capital raising. Chairman Derek Walker said the company needed well north of $10m, with a market announcement on the capital raising to come shortly.

The major contractual partners of the proposed Turitea Wind Farm near Palmerston North are slightly closer to agreement, but remain a long way from seeing eye to eye. Mighty River Power wants up to 104 turbines. Palmerston North City Council senior planner Jeff Baker believes 28 would be acceptable.

Plans have been lodged for a 110-turbine wind farm 5km south of Ballan. WestWind Energy has submitted a planning application to build the proposed Moorabool Wind Project on approximately 5600ha of farmland. The facility would be split into two sections: * The Bungeeltap section (51 turbines), which would include land in Ballan, Mt Egerton, and Fiskville; and * The Ballark section (59 turbines), which would include land in Mt Wallace and Morrisons.

Changes to the Federal Government's renewable energy scheme will not come into effect until January next year, meaning more uncertainty for the $400 million Musselroe wind farm. Roaring 40s earlier this month was forced to sack staff involved in $20 million worth of preliminary work at the Cape Portland site and said that the project could be scrapped if there were no legislative changes.

Roaring 40s is assessing a shock announcement from Canberra that the Federal Government will change its renewable energy scheme. Spokesman Steve Jackman said the business was reviewing the announcement before it could comment on the future of its $400 million Musselroe project.