Waiuku Wind Farm

This project has been referred to an expert consenting panel for fast-track consenting under the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting Act 2020).

Last updated:

Project ID

2023-152

Applicant

LET Capital Number 3 Limited Partnership

Project summary

To construct and operate a wind farm on an approximately 560-hectare site and to connect to and supply electricity to the national grid. The wind farm will have an approximate installed capacity of 80 megawatts peak and will comprise up to 18 wind turbines with blade tip heights up to 190 metres high. The project includes the construction of infrastructure and supporting structures including internal roads, turbine platforms, foundation and crane pads, underground electrical and fibre optic cables, two wind monitoring masts up to 100 metres high, an energy storage facility, a concrete batching plant and ancillary buildings.

The project includes two options to connect to and supply electricity to the national grid, with the transmission lines extending north into the Auckland Region:

  1. Option A involves the construction of a new 33kV transmission line extending from the proposed wind farm to an existing 33kV Counties Energy Limited (CEL) transmission line south of Otaua. Upgrades would also be required to the existing 33kV transmission line along the route to the Waiuku substation and then on to the Glenbrook substation
  2. Option B involves the construction of a new 33kV transmission line, with two route options, extending from the proposed wind farm to the Waiuku substation and either a new 33kV transmission line, or upgrading to the existing 33kV CEL transmission line, between Waiuku and Glenbrook substations.

Option A involves works within road reserve and on various parcels of private land, and Option B involves works within road reserve and on land owned by CEL.

Location

66 Huarau Way, 76 Robertson Road, 136, 191 and 260 Thomson Road, and 612 Forestry Road, Waiuku, Waikato.

Referred projects order

Schedule 104 to the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Referred Projects Order 2020 [New Zealand Legislation website]

Reasons for decision

The project will:

  • generate employment by providing approximately 330 direct full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs over a 2-year construction period, and 31 ongoing direct FTE jobs once construction is complete
  • provide infrastructure that will contribute to improving economic and employment outcomes
  • contribute to New Zealand’s efforts to mitigate climate change and transition more quickly to a low emissions economy by increasing New Zealand’s renewable energy generation
  • progress faster than would otherwise be the case under standard Resource Management Act 1991 process.

Any actual and potential effects on the environment, and proposed measures to avoid, remedy, mitigate, offset, or compensate for any adverse effects, can be appropriately tested by an expert consenting panel against Part 2 of the Resource Management Act 1991 and the purpose of the Act.

Section 17 report

Section 17 report [PDF, 1.1 MB]