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Section 42A Report - Transpower New Zealand Limited North Island Grid Upgrade

1. Introduction

2. Overview of the Applications

3. Statutory Framework

4. Notices of Requirement

5. Resource Consent Applications

6. Key Issues

7. Adequacy of Information

8. Concluding Statement

Appendix I

Appendix II

Appendix III

Appendix IV

Appendix V

2. Overview of the Applications

2.1 Notices of Requirement

As outlined in Section 1, Transpower lodged NOR with seven Councils in the Auckland and Waikato regions to enable them to designate land for the construction, operation and maintenance of a new electricity transmission link (including substations and underground cables) between Whakamaru and South Auckland.

The seven territorial authorities who administer the land that the route of the proposed transmission line traverses are:

• Manukau City Council
• Franklin District Council
• Waikato District Council
• Matamata-Piako District Council
• Waipa District Council
• South Waikato District Council
• Taupo District Council

The overhead line would begin at the Whakamaru Substation and traverse land through the Taupo, South Waikato, Waipa, Matamata-Piako, Waikato and Franklin Districts, terminating at Brownhill Road in Manukau City. The route is some 185 km long and the proposed designation corridor is a minimum of 65 m wide (although in some places it will be wider to allow for conductor swing or specific design components). The line will cross local authority roads and State highways, the East Coast Main Trunk Railway Line, several streams and rivers (including the Waikato River), small areas of land owned by the Crown and some 297 private properties. The proposed transmission line route is illustrated in Figure 1.

The proposal also includes ancillary activities such as accesses to the route corridor when they are within the designated area, fencing, safety and directional signage, and the removal of the Arapuni to Pakuranga A 110kV (“ARI-PAK A”) line.

The NOR components of the project have been designed in stages as set out in Table 1 below. This is to take into account the timing of other National Gird improvements such as works on other lines and connections (i.e. the Otahuhu system hub), allows the project to meet the immediate requirements by 2011, and allows monitoring of demand growth and adjustment (if necessary) to the timing of subsequent stages.

Figure 1: Proposed Transmission Line Route

See figure at its full size.

Table 1: North Island Grid Upgrade Notices of Requirement Components and Anticipated Commissioning Dates

2.2 Resource Consent Applications

Transpower has also lodged applications for a number of resource consents from the ARC and Environment Waikato, as detailed below.

2.2.1 Auckland Region

Transpower applied for resource consents with the ARC in June 2007 for work associated with the construction and installation, use, operation and maintenance of a new 220kV underground transmission cable between the Pakuranga Substation and Brownhill Road, and for works that are proposed to be located within the area of the Notice of Requirement for designation of the over head line section. The application also intrudes into the area of the NOR for designation for the Brownhill Substation.

In July 2007 Transpower applied for further resource consents from the ARC for work associated with the construction of towers for the new (400kV-capable) transmission line and ancillary works, including tower access and some topographic modification within the designated area.

Resource consent applications to the ARC are as follows:

Pakuranga to Brownhill Underground Cable Resource Consents

• Land Use Consent for earthworks (including but not limited to trenching, excavation test pits, geotech drilling, backfilling or clean filling) to enable the installation and maintenance of a 220kV underground transmission cable inside and outside any sediment control protection area.
  • Discharge of Contaminants to land from ancillary activities that produce wastewater or washwater, such as:
  • The use of chemical cracking rock breaking techniques.
  • Dewatering sediment laden water from the trenches.
  • The washing of vehicles, plant or machinery.
  • Geotechnical drilling activities.
  • Dust suppression.
  • Concrete or asphalt laying or reworking, associated with the installation and maintenance of the 220kV underground cable.
• Works in the Bed of a Watercourse for the following activities:
  • To trench through a watercourse for the installation and maintenance of a 220kV transmission cable structure under the bed of the unnamed watercourse immediately north of Ti Rakau Drive adjacent to a Manukau City Council Stormwater Management Area.
  • Placement of a bridge over the bed of the Turanga Creek, Brownhill Road, Whitford for the installation and maintenance of a 220kV transmission cable, including the placement of abutments and a reno matress on the streambanks.
  • Placement of two culverts in the bed of the Maungemaungeroa Stream, Caldwells Road, East Tamaki, including the placement of fill above those culverts for the installation and maintenance of a 220kV transmission cable.
  • Placement of a bridge over the Maungemaungeroa Stream, Caldwells Road, East Tamaki for the installation and maintenance of a 220kV transmission cable.
  • Placement of a culvert and fill over an unnamed stream directly above Dunvegan Rise (and below Point View Drive) East Tamaki, including the associated disturbance of the streambed for the installation and maintenance of a 220kV transmission cable.
  • Landuse consent for the placement of a bridge over an unnamed stream directly above Dunvegan Rise (and below Point View Drive) East Tamaki, including the associated disturbance of the streambed for the installation and maintenance of a 220kV transmission cable.
• Diversion of Surface Water for the following activities:
  • Diversion of stream flow associated with the placement of two culverts in the bed of the Maungemaungeroa Stream, Caldwells Road, East Tamaki for the installation and maintenance of a 220kV transmission cable.
  • Diversion of stream flow associated with the placement of a bridge over the Maungemaungeroa Stream, Caldwells Road, East Tamaki for the installation and maintenance of a 220kV transmission cable.

Overhead Line and Brownhill Substation Resource Consents

• Land Use Consent for earthworks (including but not limited to benching, foundation excavation, topographic modifications, geotech drilling, backfilling or clean filling) to enable the construction of tower foundations inside and outside any sediment protection control area. Earthworks for roading and tracking to enable access to the tower construction sites inside and outside any sediment protection control area.
• Discharge of Contaminants to land from ancillary activities that produce wastewater or washwater, such as:
  • The use of chemical cracking rock breaking techniques.
  • Dewatering sediment laden water from the trenches.
  • The washing of vehicles, plant or machinery.
  • Geotechnical drilling activities.
  • Dust suppression.
  • Concrete laying or reworking, associated with the installation of the tower foundations.

2.2.2 Waikato Region

Transpower applied for the following resource consents from Environment Waikato in July 2007:

Overhead Line and Whakamaru North Substation Resource Consents

• Land Use Consent for vegetation clearance and earthworks associated with tower site preparation and access tracks within the Designated Area in High Risk Erosion Areas.
• Discharge Permit for the composting of vegetation (>20m3 per site) for composting/mulching of vegetation generated through vegetation trimming and clearance.
• Land Use Consent for the drilling of tower foundation below the water table.
• Discharge Permit for the discharge of site water and drilling fluids from drilling activities into surface water.

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