With a mix of pointy-headed science and gratuitous insults, he delivered a 212 hour dissertation on the problems with wind farms, Wel Networks, the Resource Management Act process, and new trends in the energy sector. Earlier Wel Networks had painted him as an unreliable witness who lacked credibility, but Mr Cox scored plenty of hits in concluding the wind farm was "an economic and power supply disaster". "If it had been built a year ago it would not have earned enough in the last year at wholesale power rates to get close to covering its interest payments," he said.

A noise expert could be called in to assess effects from the Project Hayes Wind Farm, as long as the Central Otago District Council does not have to pay for it. The issue was discussed at yesterday's Central Otago District Council meeting after the commissioner for the wind farm hearings, Judge Jon Jackson, asked if the council would consider having an independent noise expert to assess an appeal application. Planning and environment committee chairman John Lane said the council had a responsibility to provide the expert. "If we sit back and do nothing, there will be another barrage of letters to the paper."

The company developing a 62 turbine wind farm north of Goulburn has asked the New South Wales Government to modify its development consent, to increase the size of the turbine generators.

Victorian Nationals MP Peter Hall is calling on the State Government to amend planning laws to alert property buyers to wind farms. Mr Hall says there have been recent cases of buyers in Gippsland, in the south-east, checking property titles and local planning schemes which have had no mention of nearby wind farms. He says it was only after his constituents bought the property did they discover a 100-turbine wind farm was planned for the adjoining property.

Forests of turbines spinning on distant hills: in these carbon-aware times, the glory of wind farms is being touted as the one-stop solution to all our energy ills. So aggressive has been the rush to build them that a week doesn't seem to go by without a new application for an industrial-scale turbine site going before a local council for consideration under the Resource Management Act (RMA), with a mad green fervour. You'd be forgiven, then, if it escaped your notice that wind power was part of the problem, not the solution, when the Electricity Commission last week announced that we're teetering on the brink of yet another major electricity shortage. ...A wind farm of egregious proportions on environmentally-significant landscapes to a community near you. Whether it's in your best interests is another question entirely.

Mr. Malcolm Barlow, a strong anti-windfarm advocate, has described the proposal put forward by Mr. Chris Durrant, of Grabben Gullen for formation of a Windfarm Association to treat with future developers, as containing "factual errors, dubious assertions and ending in a fairy tale." Mr. Barlow put his counter-submission before Upper Lachlan Shire Council at its last meeting. The factual errors claimed by Mr. Barlow included that the Australian population would double by 2030; that it was unlikely more coal-fired plants would be built; and that the State Government acted in accordance with the majority of NSW voters.

The Government has tagged the Project Hayes wind farm as a project of national significance and will oppose nine of the 11 groups and individuals appealing the decision. Meridian Energy received consent to erect up to 176 wind turbines on the Lammermoor Ranges late last year. Eleven appeals against the decision were received by the closing date in the middle of December. Environment Court case manager Chris Jordan confirmed the Ministry for the Environment has joined the appeals under section 274 of the Resource Management Act (RMA). The Crown had made a whole of-Government submission in favour of the Project Hayes wind farm, co-ordinated by the Ministry for the Environment, he said.

After years of fighting and campaigning, the Van Rijthoven family yesterday celebrated victory, enjoying the idyllic lifestyle they have fought so hard to protect. Philip and Susan Van Rijthoven breathed a sigh of relief after Corangamite Shire Council decided on Tuesday not to approve the Newfield Wind Farm. They were concerned the 15-turbine wind farm would devalue their property and affect the tranquillity of the valley. But Mr and Mrs Van Rijthoven know they could have another challenge on their hands if the wind farm proponent Acciona Energy decides to appeal the decision with VCAT.

Plans for a 300-hectare wind farm within sight of the Great Ocean Road near Port Campbell have been rejected. All but one Corangamite Shire councillor rejected the application by Acciona Energy at yesterday's meeting in Camperdown. The meeting heard impassioned pleas from landholders and councillors opposed to the 15-turbine development. Acciona Energy representative Stephanie Rice told the chamber before the vote that the project would offset more than 70,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases and had "significant" local support. A number of nearby residents expressed vehement opposition. The company is expected to appeal against the decision at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Ms Rice described the decision as "disappointing" and referred The Standard to a spokesperson who was unavailable for comment last night.

A group opposed to the construction of a wind farm already rejected by the Environment Court and High Court says it will challenge any move by Environment Minister Trevor Mallard to revive and fast-track the project. ...Chris Crosse, of the Hawke's Bay Outstanding Landscape Preservation Society, which opposed Unison's earlier plans, said the group would challenge any fast-track consent process. Allowing a further 34 or 37 turbines would result in 15 kilometres of [wind turbines] stretching along the skyline. "You can't keep plastering the landscape with these things. "It makes a farce of the whole process if the minister ignores everything that has gone before. It disregards the whole decision of the Environment Court, and that it has been upheld by the High Court."

Environment Minister Trevor Mallard says he will "call in" Contact Energy's planned Te Mihi geothermal power station near Taupo and Unison Networks' Te Waka windfarm because they are of national significance. Under special Resource Management Act powers the applications can be referred directly to either a board of inquiry or the Environment Court for decisions, instead of the usual process through district and regional councils. ..."The Government's intention to call in the resource consent application for this project under the RMA will streamline the process and avoid unnecessary delays, increasing confidence that the plant could be generating electricity by 2011. "At the end of the day the project will be judged on its merits, like any other resource consent application, but without the potential for lengthy appeals dragging the process out for a number of years," said Mr Baldwin.

The Government intends putting two renewable energy projects on the fast track by using its special powers under the Resource Management Act. Environment Minister Trevor Mallard said today Unison was seeking resource consents for a 34-turbine wind farm at Te Waka and Contact Energy was seeking consents for a new geothermal power station near Taupo. Mr Mallard said he was going to "call in" the projects because they were of national significance.

Uncompromising evidence from an Aotea Harbour resident has forced the adjournment of a Resource Management Act hearing for the Te Uku wind farm until at least February. It remains to be seen whether sail design consultant and aerodynamicist Sean Cox has scuttled Wel Networks' plans to build a 28-turbine wind farm 3km south of Te Uku, but he has certainly blown the Ngaruawahia hearing off course for a few months. ...In a two-hour tour-de-force on Wednesday, Mr Cox set about debunking the economic case for the wind farm, its carbon emissions justification, the available wind resource at Te Uku, adverse noise and health effects, and challenged the expertise of some of Wel's consultants.

Public submissions on the proposed Waverley wind turbine farm are overwhelmingly opposed to the project, mainly on the grounds of turbine height, noise, vibration and the effect on the coastal landscape. But there are some heavyweights among submitters who want the $300 million development to proceed, and they include the Ministry of Economic Development, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, the NZ Wind Energy Association and the Sustainable Whanganui Action Group. ...The key submission is from the strongest opponent, Roger Dickie, who is prepared use his cheque book to stop the windfarm because he says it will devalue his partially consented residential subdivision nearby.

Opponents of a proposed wind farm at Smeaton, north of Ballarat, are pleased the local council has rejected plans for a house to be built in the area. Richard Evans says the house was to be located on a significant landscape overlay that is designed to protect the region from development. It is the same area where Wind Power is proposing to build a wind farm. Mr Evans says the rejection of the house plan is a good sign that the overlay guidelines have merit and will be upheld. "You would have to think so because they came out and obviously said they didn't want development on the significant landscape overlay area of the volcanic cones," he said.

Groups opposed to plans for the country's biggest wind farm say they will take their case to the Environment Court. The 176-turbine project near Ranfurly in Central Otago was granted resource consent on Wednesday. ...While four of the commissioners accepted the argument that Lammermoor Range is not an outstanding natural landscape, one, John Mathews, disagreed. Opposition groups say that gives them strong grounds to take the case to the Environment Court.

The Government's attempt to wean the country from fossil fuels, part of its strategy to cut greenhouse gasses, will change the landscape in more ways than just putting legions of wind turbines on the horizon. ...Opponents to the Government's strategy say it is draconian, will lead to higher power prices, lower investment, and endanger security of supply. Increasing the energy generated from renewable sources by over a quarter, to 90 per cent, also raises the spectre of more bitter battles with communities already up in arms over the prospect of wind farms at close quarters.

AUSTRALIA will lead the world with the launch today of a wind farm accreditation scheme designed to include documented consultation with the community. The scheme, created by the Clean Energy Council, will involve an independent audit to ensure that any proposed wind farm complies with industry guidelines. The Clean Energy Council's chief executive, Dominique La Fontaine, who will announce the scheme at the annual AusWind conference, said it would give the community added confidence in proposed wind farm projects. "Transparent and documented community consultation helps build trust and ongoing local relationships," she said.

The State Government has commenced a 15 week consultation process on its renewable energy strategy, after economic modelling revealed the costs of reaching its target of 15 per cent renewable energy by 2020 would exceed $1 billion. More than $1 billion will need to be invested in renewable energy in Western Australia if the State Government is to reach its target of 15 per cent renewable energy by 2020, new data has revealed.

Genesis Energy, the country's third largest power generator, is investigating getting into wind farm development in Hawkes Bay. The state owned enterprise has reached an agreement with Unison Networks to investigate taking an equity share in the proposal. Genesis chief executive Murray Jackson says the Hawkes Bay site is ideally located between the company's hydro schemes at Waikaremoana and Tongaririo. He says the first stage will generate 150 megawatts, which will be doubled if a second stage goes ahead.