No Need For Power

Something highlighted to me that I think is very interesting

 

 

Flat Hill Wind Farm Submissions

Well, here is the folder with all the Flat Hill Wind Farm submissions (be patient, big file), the Notice of Decision and original proposal.  For the alterations to the turbine layout and any other information I’ve gathered click on the Wind Power category (bottom right).  Don’t forgot to click on the links within the blog posts so you can read the actual facts yourself.

That said, I ask all those that say ‘do you want to dam another river?’ to assess the FHWF proposal and this SITE and then say to yourself, if under the RMA this area was assessed as being an Outstanding Natural Landscape how can we now say it’s OK to breach those rules under the RMA?

I really don’t care if central government have a Statement on renewable energy that says any renewable energy is good no matter how small the output is…that statement should also include ‘unless the impact is detrimental to ONFL’  We all know central government aren’t the sharpest tacks, they probably thought the RMA would protect the ONFL.  You would think it would but if we allow ‘commissioners’ that obviously have no understanding of RMA/ONFL (and in particular the values placed on the landscape) you can expect them to approve the White Wind Farm and then another on Laidlaw’s (other than Energy 3) and so on and so on….

Don’t ICC (the decision makers in this) have 100% ownership of Electricity Invercargill and subsidiaries?  How does that work?  Are they ‘local network distribution’?  If they are, that will look good for the newly imposed Pre-Election reports…haven’t we  done well…we increased the profits of our Council Controlled Organisations so as to offset you rate increases…yay us!  Re-Elect us!

Someone Save Me From The Naive Greenies

I have SOOOO much housework and other shit to do but silly me looked at the comments on this article (was looking for today’s article)

Here are the comments and I don’t have time to respond just yet…but I plan too.  I would love to hear from someone who has actually considered THIS proposal.  People keep saying ‘do you want to dam more rivers?’…FFS.  They are not asking ‘shall we dam this river OR build this wind farm?

Read the information and consider it based on outcomes, impacts and effects ON THIS SITE! The amount of submissions that have a name, address and ‘I support’ with no reasons are amazing.

BTW – Yup #3 has a point I reckon

boggy   #8   12:50 pm Mar 27 2012

hc no 5 you are so wright why dont the oposers to the wind mills wake up if you go to the usa between la and santago there are houndreds of there near the highway and no noise come from them why let the wind go by when you can make a buck out of it so wake up down there

Diggs   #7   12:18 pm Mar 27 2012

sme – the ICC (read us ratepayers) have to pay to defend any appeal.

Do the people proposing an appeal realise you need legal grounds on which to appeal? Simply not wanting is there is not grounds for appeal and I hope you have deep pockets to pay the lawyers bills for an inital consultation – let alone to take any case to court.

As other commenters have said – if you don’t want clean generation like wind power – what DO you want?

When nuclear comes to NZ and it eventually will – chances are it will end up somewhere like Bluff anyway unless we can demonstrate it us not needed here as we have our own local means of generation – like wind??

Rodney   #6   12:08 pm Mar 27 2012

If Tangata whenua are objecting it can only mean one thing, they are about to submit a claim for the wind… Bugger, with the wind, rain and airwaves being claimed there is only the sun left, change to solar beore Tangata whenua line this one up

HC   #5   11:53 am Mar 27 2012

What is it those opposing this want? Sustainable renewable energy? Damed rivers and burning more lignite to create electricity? I suggest that those opposed to this go and have a good close up look at the windfarm at White Hills near Mossburn. There is no noise, there is no pollution, there are no dams or polluted air. There are turbines making electrity built in a living growing forest. Those opposed can not have it both ways when it comes to electricity generation.

sme   #4   11:43 am Mar 27 2012

Who pays for these appeals and costs ? People who don’t want power generators can opt out and disconnect from power system – yea – I dare you to totally boycott all electricity.

Yup   #3   10:43 am Mar 27 2012

They should look at using the council-owned land in Awarua. My family used to live in that area, the double and sometimes triple directions of wind through there would EASILY “run” a wind farm.

Andrew   #2   10:17 am Mar 27 2012

Suck it up Bluff, clean energy is good energy and the needs of the many outweigh the few!

Windy   #1   09:14 am Mar 27 2012

Once again ‘the minority’ want to frustrate the facilition of economic and sustainable development in the City.

And The Winner Is…

To be known tomorrow.  I have had to keep ringing ICC as messages didn’t work.  After a long time on hold the receptionist tells me that the Flat Hill Wind Farm Decision has been made and the letters were posted today.

Tomorrow’s mail could have long term ramifications.  I think ICC have approved it and in ten or fifteen years I will say I told you so as I gaze upon a ridgeline with an array of structures breaching what once was an outstanding natural feature:-(

Will let you all know as soon as I find out.

Wonder Why?

“He did not want the turbine to continue on his property,” Mr McNabb said.

No particular need to know but am curious why the landowner withdrew his involvement?  Nice to see them being up front about these things though, I doubt they expected it to be easy.  I am curious to see other submissions on the application.  If anyone wants to share their submission, for or against, I’d appreciate it.  They’re going to be made available before the hearing anyway.   Email to c.teau@woosh.co.nz.  I won’t share them unless you okay it.  Anonymously if you prefer.

A Letter To The Bluff Residents

Andrew McClure has asked if I would put this online.  I’m only too happy to.

This letter is about power. Political, economic, but most importantly, electrical power
or simply energy – that life blood of human development.

For most of our lives and that of our recent forebears, cheap, readily available energy
has been the basis of economic improvement. Good laws and stable government have
all helped, but in the main our wealth has stemmed from an abundance of readily
accessible hydro carbons. These have saved on labour costs; fuelled cheap transport
and manufacturing; and made our land and oceans very productive. Take away cheap
energy and things start to fall apart.

That our power prices have been increasing beyond the rate of inflation is not news to
most. That this trend will continue indefinitely is likely no surprise either. The net
result of this will be an ever decreasing standard of living and the central argument of
this letter is that with respect to Bluff this decrease may well be optional, and its
extent conditional on our collective response.

Bluff is blessed with good tidal flows; good wind; access to the ocean; and a
reasonably high hill – leading to a diverse range of options for capturing and storing
renewable energy. Be it from tidal flows to harvesting wind and utilising hydro for
temporary storage, Bluff has an abundance of renewable energy.

Bluff also has a history of utilising the ocean currents and wind – indeed only a
generation or so ago Bluff Oysters were harvested using sail and tides. And of course
Bluff punches above its weight when it comes to its resourcefulness and engineering
prowess with more small engineering shops per capita than most small communities
in NZ.

The flow on effects of taking control of our own future energy requirements cannot be
overstated. Cost effective energy will lead to increased capital values of our houses
and businesses; our ability to complete in more energy intensive industries will
improve; and there will be a growth in opportunities associated with the renewable
energy industry – in engineering, electrical and administrative jobs.

There are of course many barriers to achieving such benevolent outcomes. The
default case as ever is to do nothing; to continue to be price takers; and to either resist
change altogether or acquiesce to a larger more organised entity to exploit Bluff’s
potential.

The good (or bad) news is that some of the greatest barriers to success are almost
entirely political. A significant renewable energy project for Bluff requires four main
components – the underlying resource; the resource consent; the capital funding; and
the actual implementation. Bluff has the natural resources. IF there is consensus and
strong leadership, the funding and consenting components will take care of
themselves. We urge those in positions of leadership to take up the mantle.

Andrew McClure, Bluff Homestead (Waddel House), Boxing day 2011.

I believe if all the thinkers in our community had an appropriate forum, Bluff would have a bright future.  The community board most definitely do NOT provide that environment!  Here are Andrew’s thoughts:

If we  could get the local engineers interested and somehow get a

group to put a resource consent through for some sort of power

project, then funding should be straight forward.

One of the biggest costs of these sorts of projects is the Resource Consent

process, so if it was community driven and lower power prices for

Bluff were the net result, then we could make a huge saving on this

part of the process, and make the project cost effective – hence

getting funding would be straight forward.