"This decision is a fantastic signal for wind energy development
in New Zealand and is a great step towards reducing our greenhouse
gas emissions and tackling the world's biggest threat - climate
change," said Greenpeace climate campaigner Vanessa Atkinson.
This is a precedent setting case for wind energy in New Zealand.
It is the first time that a decision on a wind farm has been taken
to the Environment Court and it sets a positive precedent for
balancing sustainable development and the need to tackle climate
change with mitigating local impacts and for allowing appropriate
siting of wind farms in coastal areas.
Greenpeace joined the appeal in support of the wind farm as we
were very concerned about climate change. Greenpeace believes that
wind and other forms of renewable energy are very important
components to address climate change.
"New Zealand is the Saudi Arabia of wind and a recent Government
study showed that 35% of our installed electricity capacity could
come from wind energy, and that is just within current technology
limits."
"The transition to renewable energy such as wind, is absolutely
vital and Awhitu is an urgently needed step on that path. With
scientists warning that we only have 10 years to tackle climate
change to avoid wide-scale ecological, economic and social
disaster, we can no longer afford to wait.
"New Zealand faces some tough energy choices in the coming
years. We can move towards clean renewable energy sources such as
wind or we are left with dirty climate-change causing options like
Mighty River Power's Marsden B coal-fired power station," said Ms
Atkinson.
"New Zealand should be developing more projects close to areas
of high electricity demand like Auckland, to avoid the need for
transmission line upgrades," concluded Ms Atkinson.
The Greenpeace run website, http://www.Yes2Wind.co.nz supports
and promotes the use of wind power in New Zealand and provides
information on wind energy including debunking some common myths.
Ends
Note:
Franklin District Council rejected Genesis' application for
resource consents for the windfarm on 9 September 2004.
Genesis appealed the decision on 27 September and then EECA
appealed on 7 October.
Subsequently many others have joined either or both of these
appeals including Greenpeace, Auckland Regional Council, Mighty
River Power, The New Zealand Wind Energy Association, the
Environmental Defence Society and local resident Charmaine Watts
(head of Waiuku in Support of Wind Energy).