For the next four months or so, Mr Ressom and fellow observer Helen Phillips will stand sentry among the reeds, monitoring the numbers of Australia's rarest bird - the orange-bellied parrot - making sure its dwindling numbers don't fly into the blades of a wind turbine. ...Last year, the turbines at Yambuk were shut down twice, when the observers alerted the wind farm operator Pacific Hydro, that a number of the parrots were feeding in the vicinity.

Wind turbine blades in Turitea Reserve could hurt New Zealand's endangered native falcons, a board of inquiry has been told. Biogeography specialist Professor Emeritus of Massey University John Flenley told the Turitea Wind Farm hearing yesterday the planned wind farm could lead to local extinction of the rare bird.

The wildlife sanctuary Zealandia, in the Wellington suburb of Karori, says a proposed wind farm could put endangered native birds at risk. The Mighty River Power proposal involves building 25 turbines, 30 metres high, to the west of Brooklyn and south of Karori.

Till now the developers have implied that it would be out of sight and (they hoped) out of mind. ...But this week we have discovered that the windfarm (if they get resource consent to build it) won't be so isolated after all. It will be "west of Brooklyn and south of Karori" so it will have many neighbours. One of its biggest neighbours will be the Karori wildlife sanctuary, which is worried that native birds could be killed by the rotating blades of the Long Gully turbines.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett must approve the Stockyard Hill Wind Farm, under national laws, before it can go ahead. The project has gone to the Federal Government because it has been found likely to have significant environmental impact. It now must be assessed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

The proposed Stockyard Hill Wind Farm will require further environmental studies to determine the impact of local wildlife. Last week the Federal Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts announced that Origin Energy’s proposed Stockyard Hill wind farm could have significant impact on protected species and communities. ...The decision will require further environmental studies be conducted to assess the severity of impact on native species and communities protected under the EPBC Act, such as migratory birds and critically endangered Natural Temperate Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plains.

The Australian Federal Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) announced that Origin Energy's proposed Stockyard Hill wind farm could have significant impact on protected species and communities. They have therefore determined that the project be subject to "controlled action" under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC).

The Central Highlands could soon be home to the state's biggest wind farm but the endangered wedge- tailed eagle may stop the multimillion-dollar development before it begins. ...But the project faces one major hurdle that has stopped similar developments in the past. N. P. Power had identified that wedge-tailed eagles and white- bellied sea eagles inhabit the region, with two nests existing on the wind farm site.

The New South Wales Government has given planning approval for a wind farm at Gullen Range, near Goulburn in the state's south, despite an ongoing case in the Land and Environment Court. The Government has given the $250 million plan the green light after putting in place measures to protect the powerful owl and the wedgetail eagle.

The New South Wales Government has given planning approval for a wind farm at Gullen Range, near Goulburn, after putting in place measures to protect the powerful owl and the wedgetail eagle. ...Ms Keneally says the the use of some turbines will have to be restricted when the young owls are learning to fly.

Contact Energy is prepared to take the risk of building multimillion-dollar turbines at its proposed Waikato wind farm even if they might not be able to operate under consent conditions. ...the tension evident between Contact's plans and the Conservation Department which says there is not enough evidence to make a decision on the project has already emerged as one of the pivotal issues for the hearing.

Commissioners appointed by Hurunui District Council have rejected a wind farm planned for a "nationally outstanding" North Canterbury landscape. ...MainPower planned to build a wind farm worth up to $200 million on Mt Cass, east of Waipara. Commissioners Paul Rogers, Paul Thomas and Dean Chrystal said a wind farm on the ridge between Mt Cass and Totara Peak would be "inappropriate" because it would degrade an outstanding natural feature of national significance. Environmental groups called the decision a win for conservation.

A two kilometre buffer zone from houses would make the proposed Glen Innes Windfarm unviable according to the project's developers, however they say they are hopeful of negotiating a compromise with critics of the project.

Details of a wind farm on rugged hills southwest of Brooklyn have been made public. The 28-turbine proposal for Long Gully will be discussed at public meetings in Wellington this week before a resource consent application is lodged with the city council in mid-December. State-owned Mighty River Power would own and operate the farm and Windflow Technology, a Christchurch turbine manufacturer, would construct it.

An Environmental Effects Statement was not required for a 282-turbine wind farm at Stockyard Hill because the project would not have a significant environmental impact. Planning Minister Justin Madden made the decision on September 29 after preliminary ecological investigations indicated there was unlikely to be significant effects on threatened fauna. In his decision, Mr Madden took into consideration the fact the project site mostly consisted of cleared agricultural land.

A breeding pair of wedge-tailed eagles has been killed at Roaring 40s' Woolnorth Bluff Point windfarm in the state's north-west. A spokesman for Roaring 40s said the company "gets as upset as anybody when there is a collision", but urged people to keep the deaths in perspective. The first eagle was killed on August 17 and a few days later its mate was also struck. ..."But every death of an endangered species is one step closer to the extinction of that species," Dr Woehler said.

The Project Hayes wind farm Environment Court hearing has been abandoned until next year after opponents won the right to present new evidence. Effectively this means all the expert witnesses for both Meridian Energy and appellant groups relating to landscape and visual effects as well as transmission might have to be recalled. The new evidence relates to cumulative effects based on the Mahinerangi wind farm.

Plans for a multimillion dollar wind farm near Crookwell have re-opened old wounds in the Yass Valley. ...Epuron sold the planning rights for the Gunning and Yass wind farm projects to Origin Energy in January and recently submitted environmental and engineering investigations for the Gullen Range wind farm project to the NSW Department of Planning for approval. The news has re-ignited the concerns and emotions of property owners in the Black Range area who continue to fervently oppose the building of turbine towers on Conroy's Gap.

Dr Lloyd said the overall effect of vegetation clearance would have a more than minor effect on the area's ecology, although the clearance would not occur in a single area, but would be dispersed in small areas across the site. In his written evidence, Dr Lloyd said road construction along the alignment of existing farm tracks would have minor effects on indigenous vegetation, but the construction of turbines, new roads, and significant extensions to existing roads would result in the clearance of indigenous tussock grassland which was more than minor.

A decision will be made in coming months on whether the Stockyard Hill Wind Farm needs an Environmental Effects Statement. Wind Power made the referral to the Planning Minister Justin Madden last month for its proposed 282-turbine wind farm. If Mr Madden finds the project would have a significant environmental impact, the company must prepare an EES document. Wind Power engineer Ross Richards said the company had worked with the Department of Sustainability and Environment to reduce possible environmental impacts, working out the best location for the turbines.