Wanting the winds to change

The Hastwell Mount Munro Protection Society committee members say they oppose Meridian Energy’s wind farm which could be 2km away from homes.

People from the small Eketāhuna township feel like they are fighting round two of an arm wrestle with an energy company giant.

The Environment Court hearing for Meridian Energy’s Mt Munro Wind Farm proposal, which would cover 900ha in Eketāhuna, and generate 90MWp with 20 turbines to power 42,000 homes, commenced this week.

The court heard Meridian’s expert evidence presented over the first four days, and yesterday legal submissions from Hastwell Mount Munro Protection Society’s lawyer Morgan Slyfield were followed by other submissions in opposition.

The 35-member society promotes the message, “Right energy, wrong place”, and includes people living in the Hastwell and Eketāhuna districts who opposed the potential wind farm less than 2km away from homes.

Society chair Chris Clarke's evidence statement said the community had to defend their interests and values in foreign and unfamiliar territories through an expensive and challenging court process.

“Our ability to fully engage and most importantly understand the implications of what might happen on our doorstep has, if anything, been undermined,” he said.

Clarke said his community’s reluctant journey started with Meridian in 2009 when a wind tower was erected on Mt Munro.

Meridian sought resource consent for a wind farm in 2012, but the application was withdrawn the year after, he said.

“Concerns expressed at the time strongly reflect current experience, for example, lacking proper consultation, detail in the resource consent application and information,” he said.

“Meridian and its experts all undermine our community and the treasured values we share.”

Clarke said when he and his wife moved to the area in 2020 and discovered Meridian had planned another proposal, his neighbours “expressed high levels of anxiety at the prospect of a repetition of 2012”.

Meridian’s refusal to complete a social impact assessment (SIA) meant that they had “abnegated” their social license, he said.

“For the sake of our community, and for many others now encountering renewable power projects on their doorstep, serious thought needs to be given to the location and development.”

Within Clarke's statement, an Eketāhuna Health Centre nurse said, “The impact of the proposed Mount Munro Wind Farm has already caused considerable mental disharmony to many of the patients I see who live within the proposed vicinity of this wind farm.”

The Eketāhuna nurse said many were not financially affluent, either semi-retired or elderly or felt that, due to their ethnicity, they couldn’t voice their concerns.

“They have been put in a powerless position in terms of ability to oppose this wind farm.

“This has already caused ongoing worry, anxiety and sleepless nights to some of these — others it has already affected their mental and physical health.”

In another statement, Brendon and Josie Braddock said they bought their 600ha sheep and beef farm in April 2022 while unaware of Meridian’s plans.

“If Meridian had had the decency to engage with the community at the beginning of this nightmare, then we would have seriously considered twice about purchasing the farm in the first place.

“We simply, do not want to live, work or play under windmills.

“Since Meridian has proposed the wind farm for a second time, this has once again caused great divide and stress on community relationships.”

Also, wind farms have been proven to be dangerous to bird and bat life, Josie said, and this proposal would be close to 750 metres away from Pukaha National Wildlife Centre at Mt Bruce.

The Environment Court hearing is scheduled to end on October 2.