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Board of Inquiry Upper North Island Grid Upgrade Proposal
Page updated 29 August 2008
Transpower New Zealand Ltd (Transpower) is proposing to build a new overhead electricity transmission line, underground cables and substations in the upper North Island. Minister Pete Hodgson called in Transpower's proposal in August and appointed an independent Board of Inquiry to consider submissions on Transpower’s proposal, to hold public hearings and to make a final decision on the proposal. See background information on the proposal for more details.
The Board’s chair is Judge David Sheppard, a former Principal Environment Judge. The other Board members are Kevin Prime, Dr Deborah Read and John Rutherford. See biographical information on the board members.
Notice of Inquiry Hearing for the Upper North Island Grid Upgrade Proposal
The Board of Inquiry hearing commenced at 11.00 am on Tuesday 25 March 2008 in Hamilton.
Hearing proceedings are available, and will be updated on a weekly basis.
The submitter appearance and cross-examination schedule (PDF 270 KB) is available. This schedule also indicates when the viewing of the proposed route and sites will be undertaken by the Board of Inquiry. Please note this schedule is subject to change at any time.
Information about the hearing is available and will be updated throughout the hearing.
Information about the Board’s viewing of the proposed route and sites in September is available.
Transpower responses to requests for memoranda or further information – Transpower has provided responses to various requests made during the presentation of their evidence.
Please check for updates regularly as hearing schedules are subject to change.
Pre-hearing and hearing
- Hearing dates schedule (PDF 10 KB)
- Transpower witnesses and cross-examination schedule (PDF 81 KB)
- Submitter appearance and cross-examination requests provisional schedule (PDF 270 KB)
- Viewing of the proposed route and sites – protocols and schedules
- Hearing proceedings – daily record, transcript & list of documents
- Information about the hearing – venues and hearing progress
- Hearing witnesses and submitters appeared to date
- Submitters confirmed of wish to be heard
- Hearing procedures (PDF 128 KB) – how the hearing is being conducted
- Public notice of commencement of Inquiry Hearing (PDF 37 KB)
Evidence
- Submitter evidence, updated evidence and legal submissions are available.
- Transpower evidence, rebuttal evidence and the legal submissions given are available.
- Further information on magnetic fields (PDF 193KB) has been provided by Transpower to the Board of Inquiry as identified in the Section 42A report: section 7.2.1.
- Draft conditions have been provided by counsel for Transpower to the Board of Inquiry.
Reports
- The Section 42A report on the Upper North Island Grid Upgrade Proposal is available. This report was commissioned by the Board of Inquiry under section 42A of the Resource Management Act and includes the key issues of the proposal, an overview of the notices of requirement documentation and resource consent applications lodged and an analysis of information provided by Transpower.
- The List of Submissions report is available. This groups submissions under topic areas and generic issues raised by the public and other interested parties
Submissions
The Board of Inquiry Upper North Island Grid Upgrade Proposal has received 1244 submissions on Transpower’s proposed new electricity line.
Additional information on the National Policy Statement
Board decision on request for adjournment of the Board of Inquiry Hearing
The Board of Inquiry released its decision on 3 March 2008 on the adjournment request lodged by Counsel, on behalf of Robert McQueen. Information on the adjournment request, Board Minute and Responses to the minute are available.
Memorandum of Counsel lodged with the Board of Inquiry
Memorandums of Counsel lodged with the Board of Inquiry are available.
Counsel for Transpower has lodged a Memorandum and further information with the Board of Inquiry in response to requests made during the presentation of the evidence:
- Supplementary figures from Mr Gavin Lister (photographs of monopoles located in Toowoomba, Australia) and Mr Graham Warren (Replacement Appendix A to rebuttal evidence) - 17 July 2008
- Evidential status of documents referred to by Transpower experts – 17 July 2008
- Index to Sylvia Allan’s evidence for Transpower New Zealand Limited – Planning: Resource Management Act Analysis, Overhead Transmission Line, Brownhill substation and Whakamaru and Whakamaru North substation – 17 July 2008
Counsel for Transpower has lodged a Memorandum with the Board of Inquiry in relation to a proposed site/route visit, 8 May 2008.
Board Minute – the Board have responded to Transpower’s Memorandum of Counsel in relation to proposed site/route visit:
- Viewing Route and Sites (PDF 154 KB)
- Protocols for taking views on site and route visit (PDF 309 KB)
- Submitters response to Memorandum of Counsel and Board Minute on Proposed site visits (PDF 144 KB)
Dr Robert McQueen has made an application to view original documents referred to in Professor Elwood’s evidence:
- Dr Robert McQueen’s request to access original documents (PDF 563 KB)
- Counsel for Transpower - response to Dr McQueen’s request (PDF 911 KB)
- BOI response to Dr McQueen’s application (PDF 138 KB)
Meeting minutes
The Board will meet as required throughout the process. Once the Board has confirmed the minutes of each meeting, they will be made publicly available on this website.
Media releases
- Media advisory: Inquiry hearing begins for Transpower proposal to upgrade North Island transmission grid
- Media release: Board of Inquiry announces pre-hearing timetable and commencement date for hearing on Upper North Island Grid Upgrade Proposal (PDF 10KB)
Contact details
To make contact or for further information on the Board of Inquiry, please contact the Project Manager for the Board, Viv Smith.
Phone: (03) 365 9268
Fax: (04) 439 7705
Mobile: 027 495 7096
Call In Unit
The Ministry for the Environment
PO Box 10362
Thorndon
Wellington 6143
Email: tpcallin@mfe.govt.nz
