Community Wind Farm Proposed for Wellington

"A citizens' initiative for a community wind farm in Long Gully is inviting wider public participation this month, at an open meeting planned for Friday 19th November in Wellington at Crossways Community Centre, Mt Victoria," said Regional Councillor Paul Bruce.

Cr Bruce said that Community wind farms have several major advantages over large commercial wind farms: they are smaller in size and number and can be community owned rather than externally imposed. "We think this provides a great opportunity to local citizens to make a small ethical investment in renewable energy and obtain credit for clean power generation, all without having to have a suitable site themselves."

There are similar community wind farm projects currently at the planning or discussion stage, in the Waitati - Blueskin Bay district near Dunedin, and in Otaki, where there is a community board initiative. The Mill Creek wind farm proposal in Ohariu also come out of approach from local farmers.

Cr Bruce said that the Long Gully wind farm project has a resource consent, held by Wind Flow Technologies, which has now been lodged with the Wellington City Council. A contract is at present being negotiated with an electricity supplier to purchase the electricity generated. "The next steps will be to set up a suitable banking and investment structure for the purchase and the erection of the wind turbines," he concluded.

Interested members of the public are invited to come to the November 19th meeting which will be held at 6 pm at Crossways Community Centre, 6 Roxborough St, Mt Victoria, Wellington.

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