Project Hurunui is a proposed wind farm

Wind farm

A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...

 located between Omihi and Greta Valley

Greta Valley

Greta Valley is a small town 83 km north of Christchurch, New Zealand. It was named after the Greta River in Yorkshire by local runholders Sir Charles Clifford and Sir Frederick Weld in the 1850s, but it is to the east of the Greta River and on the south bank of the Waikari River.-References:...

 in north Canterbury, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. Meridian Energy

Meridian Energy

Meridian Energy Limited is a New Zealand state-owned electricity generator and retailer. The company generates the largest proportion of New Zealand's electricity, generating 32 percent of the country's electricity in the year ending 31 December 2009, and is the fourth-equal largest retailer, with...

 is developing the wind farm, which is planned to produce up to 75.9 MW from 2014.

The proposal is for a wind farm of 33 turbines, with maximum height of 130.5 metres, located on a 34 km² area on the east side of State Highway 1.

Consent process

Meridian Energy is consulting with the public prior to applying for resource consents. An informal survey of residents in the affected area showed that slightly more were in favour of the wind farm than those who were opposed.

The application for consents was lodged in April 2011. In June 2011, the Hurunui District Council and the Canterbury Regional Council

Canterbury Regional Council

Canterbury Regional Council is the regional council for Canterbury, the largest region in the South Island of New Zealand. It is part of New Zealand's structure of local government...

 agreed to a request by Meridian that the wind farm proposal be referred to the Environment Court

Environment Court of New Zealand

The Environment Court of New Zealand is a specialist court for planning permits and environmental issues...

.

External links

• Project Hurunui at Meridian Energy
  Meridian Energy
  Meridian Energy Limited is a New Zealand state-owned electricity generator and retailer. The company generates the largest proportion of New Zealand's electricity, generating 32 percent of the country's electricity in the year ending 31 December 2009, and is the fourth-equal largest retailer, with...