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Board of Inquiry - Hauāuru mā raki Wind Farm Proposal

Logo of the Board of Inquiry.

Contact Wind Limited and Contact Energy Limited (Contact) are proposing to build a new 180-turbine wind farm, called ‘Hauāuru mā raki’, near Raglan in the Waikato.  The Board of Inquiry will consider this proposal.

The Board is chaired by Environment Court Judge Jeffrey Allan Smith, and the other members are Dr Diane Menzies, Ms Gina Rangi and Mr John Lumsden. See biographical information on the board members.

Adjournment request granted

The Board of Inquiry has received a request from Contact Energy to adjourn the hearing for a period of 12 months.  The Board has heard from the parties on the adjournment request. 

The Board has granted the adjournment with certain actions being required during the adjournment. The Boards decision report has been provided to all parties and is available above. 

The work program outlines the programme of investigation and design work that Contact Energy will undertake during the adjournment period. 

Hearing

The hearing was held at the Tuakau Town Hall during the weeks of 27 April, 4 May and 18 May.  The planned hearing weeks of 8 June, 15 June and 22 June 2009 have been cancelled.

Evidence

Expert witness reports

Following meetings between groups of expert witnesses, seven reports were produced.
Electronic copies of these reports are available for download.

Pre hearing conference minute

The minute for the pre hearing conference (PDF, 77.3 KB) held at the Tuakau Town Hall on 9 March 2009 at 10.30am is available to download

Hearing procedures

The Board’s hearing procedure (PDF, 66KB) are available.  These procedures describe how the Board intends to conduct the hearing and includes the key dates for evidence exchange.  These key dates are summarised below – please refer to the procedures for full details.

21 January 2009 any party may provide comment on the analysis of submissions to the Board (with a copy sent to the applicant as well).
11 February 2009 the applicant is to circulate evidence to the MfE Project Manager and to all submitters.
13 March 2009 all other parties to advise the Board and the applicant of the witnesses they are proposing to call.
27 March 2009 all other parties are to circulate their evidence to the MfE Project Manager, the applicant and all other submitters. 
9 April 2009 the applicant is to circulate their rebuttal to the evidence of the other parties, to the MfE Project Manager and to all submitters. 
9 April 2009 all other parties may circulate rebuttal to evidence of the other parties and the applicant, to the MfE Project Manager, the applicant and all other submitters.  
17 April 2009 any report prepared by expert witnesses on any issues agreed and the extent of any dispute which remains, to be circulated to the MfE Project Manager, the applicant and all other submitters.
17 April 2009 the applicant to forward to the Board, five partitioned and indexed folders containing paper copies of all (both the applicants and submitters) evidence and rebuttal evidence. 
17 April 2009 notice to cross-examine is to be given to the Board, no later than this date, by any party wishing to cross-examine another party. 
27 April 2009 the hearing will commence on or after this date, at a place to be fixed by the Board. 

Submissions

The Board has received 96 submissions on Contact’s proposed Hauāuru mā raki wind farm - Waikato Wind Farm.

A summary of submissions report is available.

Electronic copies of all submissions are available to download.  

The submissions were originally received by the Minister for the Environment and then provided to the Board in accordance with the Resource Management Act.

Background

Contact proposes to locate the Hauāuru mā raki wind farm on the west coast of the North Island. The proposed site is along approximately 34km of coastline starting four kilometres south of Port Waikato and ending at Te Akau, some eight kilometres north of Raglan. 

Hauāuru mā raki would produce up to 540 megawatts (MW) of electricity, and the proposal includes the construction, operation and maintenance of a 220kV transmission line, three substations, associated support structures, equipment and facilities. A copy of the applications and a map of the area can be found on Contact’s website: www.contactenergy.co.nz

Contact’s proposal for the Hauāuru mā raki wind farm was originally called in, under the Resource Management Act, by the Minister for the Environment Trevor Mallard in August 2008. The Minister then appointed the Board of Inquiry to consider the proposal.

Map of proposed site

Hauāuru mā raki – Waikato Wind Farm
Thumbnail of image. See figure at its full size (including text description).

Further information

Public notice of the Minister’s direction to call in the proposal.

Minister’s direction to call in the proposal (PDF 2.94 MB).

Information sheet on Contact’s proposal explaining how submitters could have a say in the process.

Minister's media release: Call-in Board of Inquiry members announced

Minister's media release: Wind farm proposal near Raglan to be called in

For more information on the call in of Contact’s proposal see:  Contact’s proposal for a new Waikato wind farm – ‘Hauāuru mā raki’

For more information about call-ins see Ministerial intervention on proposals of national significance under the Resource Management Act.

Contact details

For further information please contact

Kim Morgan (Project Manager for the Board)
Phone: (04) 439 7447 or 0800 836 444
Fax: (04) 439 7705
Mobile: 021 844 752
Email: hmrcallin@mfe.govt.nz

HMR Call-in
Ministry for the Environment                                                        
PO Box 10362
Wellington 6143

Last updated: 5 June 2009