The timing of hearings on the planned Turitea wind farm and an extension of Te Rere Hau means neither farm is required to consider the other, Tararua-Aokautere Guardians president Kevin Low says. Mr Low told the Te Rere Hau hearing that it was hasty. The two hearings are being conducted simultaneously. There was also potential for the Te Rere Hau extension to "leapfrog" Turitea, he said.

Environmentalists and residents have vowed to stop a 25-turbine wind farm from going ahead and are considering an appeal to the Environment Court. Wellington City Council granted Windflow Technology consent yesterday to build the 30-metre-high turbines at Long Gully Station, south of Karori and to the west of Brooklyn. However, opponents of the project said the council failed to adequately consider adverse impacts of turbine noise and vibrations on recreational users at Long Gully.

Christchurch-based Windflow Technology Ltd is a step closer to securing a second buyer for its pioneering two-bladed turbines with approval of a resource consent for the Long Gully windfarm proposal behind Wellington. MightyRiverPower, which recently took a 20 percent share in Windflow, would own and operate the 25 turbine, 12.5 Megawatt project, using Windflow 500 turbines, for which the Wellington City Council has now granted consent after relatively straightforward hearings.

An energy company looks to be fighting an uphill battle in its bid to build a wind farm on land near Martinborough, linked to the legendary Kupe. ...The proposal has been bandied about for well over a year but, as yet, no official moves have been taken to secure consent for the wind farm to be built and the plan is already facing opposition in the district. Farmer Richard Riddiford said most people in Martinborough know very little about what the power company proposes to do and for that reason wants to see a public meeting organised.

Meridian Energy is looking to carry out a survey in the next few weeks of the community near a possible wind farm site in South Wairarapa. Meridian spokesman Alan Seay said the company had been monitoring a site for a number of years in the Nga Waka a Kupe range about 8-9km southeast of Martinborough.

Renewable energy company Acciona has lodged an application for a $175 million wind farm at Allendale East near Mt Gambier. The development application, which has been 18 months in the planning, was lodged with the District Council of Grant onFriday. It proposes a 47-turbine farm capable of producing 70.5 megawatts of power, or the equivalent of powering 43,000 homes.

The Member for Burrinjuck, Katrina Hodgkinson, says valuable lessons need to be learnt from past mistakes in installing rural wind farms, to ensure they are not repeated.

A wind speed mast has been erected south of Mt Mackenzie at Bungulla to measure wind speeds in the area and test whether or not it could be a viable location for a wind farm. ...Tenterfield Shire Council has received one objection to the wind mast and John Hrobelko, Director of Environmental and Community Services, said he expected more.

The company behind plans for a $400 million wind farm near the Southland township of Wyndham has confirmed it will not lodge its resource consent application until early 2010 - about six months later than it had originally hoped. And it could be several weeks after that before the application is actually in the public arena.

Wind farm developers are misleading the public about their plans, a south-west MP claims. Member for Western Victoria David Koch yesterday called on the Federal Government to review the approval process for wind farms. He said the existing community consultation process was inadequate and developers were not being flexible about the placement of turbines.

More jobs could be lost at a Portland wind farm company because of delays to projects in south-west Victoria. Keppel Prince makes towers for wind turbines and has laid off about 100 workers in the past nine months because of a lack of contracts.

Moorabool Shire Council wants the Municipal Association of Victoria to provide specific guidelines for a national wind farm policy. The council says it is facing the prospect of numerous wind farms in its area and it wants an overall policy developed to help during the approval process and for community advice. The Federal Government is in the draft stages of developing national wind energy guidelines.

Spring winds provide a boon for electricity generation at Meridian Energy's White Hill wind farm 6km southeast of Mossburn, but much of yesterday's wind exceeded its capabilities. A Meridian spokesman said the 29 turbines at the wind farm operated at wind speeds of between 14.4kmh and 90kmh with a nominal speed of 54kmh - or the speed at which a turbine reaches its full generating capacity of 2MW.

Christchurch turbine manufacturer Windflow Technology has posted a $1.23 million loss and said there is uncertainty over whether it can continue as a going concern. The statement to the NZX by chairman Barrie Leay and chief executive Geoff Henderson said the going concern issues related to its only customer NZ Windfarms which had been withholding payments for turbines since August 17 and needed to raise capital for its business.

Stakeholders in the growing debate on wind farming will have the chance for their say in Tamworth next month. ...Inquiry chairman Ian Cohen says he expects stakeholders from a wide area in the Hunter and the Tablelands to appear before its members.

The Hobart City Council is set to block a second set of wind turbines in the city. In July the Council rejected a proposal for wind turbines on top of the ANZ building in Hobart.

TrustPower has decided not to proceed with a proposed 48 megawatt wind farm in South Australia following a lack of support from the South Australia Government. The company has received confirmation from the region's government that it will not support a variation to the height, layout and turbine type in the existing planning approval for the proposed wind farm 50km south of Adelaide at Myponga.

The board of Tauranga-based TrustPower is expected to announce early next year that it is ready to start building its $400 million Mahinerangi wind farm, near Dunedin. Community relations manager Graeme Purches said the announcement was a "fairly high probability". He expected the wind farm to be built in stages and the first stage might consist of erecting between 10 and 15 turbines.

Windflow Technology says it faces material damage if NZ Windfarms continues to delay payments but the latter says it needs certification. Photo / SuppliedListed companies in a bitter dispute over wind turbines at a Manawatu project are warning of serious financial risks if the impasse is not resolved. NZ Windfarms says it does not know if it can pay its debts.

Wind turbine company Windflow Technology says the withholding of payments by Te Rere Hau wind farm owner NZ Windfarms will shortly "become material" if further payments are withheld. NZ Windfarms had withheld three payments since August 17, and had written to Windflow in regard to each payment stating it intended withholding the payment until issues relating to turbine certification and fitness for purpose were resolved, Windflow said today.