Contact told windfarm may face 'insurmountable' consenting issues

Contact told windfarm may face 'insurmountable' consenting issues
Contact says its planned Southland windfarm is needed. (Image: NZME)
Ian Llewellyn
Consenting officials have told Contact Energy that its plan to build a 55-turbine windfarm in Southland may face “insurmountable difficulties” or need to be cut back in size to get approval.The consent is for a windfarm generating about 300 megawatts (MW) through the turbines, each generating up to 7MW from their blades with a tip height of 220 metres.The wind farm was opposed by the West Catlins Preservation Society, which says Slopedown, where the proposed farm would be located, was an outstanding natural landscape that could be s...

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