Iwi felt harassed on wind farm plan
Maori made it clear they did not want a proposed wind farm in Hawke’s Bay but that did not stop Unison lines company from “harassing” an iwi member, the Environment Court has been told.
Unison has applied to add 34 turbines to 15 already approved for a site on Te Waka Range near Te Pohue, on the Napier-Taupo Road. The application, being heard in Napier, began this week.
Unison tried last year to get consent for an extra 37 turbines, saying the original 15 were not viable. Another firm, Hawke’s Bay Windfarms, already has consent to erect 75 turbines nearby and the Environment Court said the cumulative effect of turbines on the skyline west of Hawke’s Bay would be excessive.
Judge Thompson said Te Waka was an area of immense spiritual importance to Maori, and that must be taken into account. Unison appealed to the High Court, which upheld the judge’s decision. Unison lodged the second application, which was called in by Trevor Mallard, environment minister at the time.
The application is opposed by the Hawke’s Bay Outstanding Landscape Preservation Society and local iwi groups Ngati Hineuru and Maungaharuru-Tangitu Society.
Unison chief executive Ken Sutherland told the court the company had made numerous attempts to meet iwi to discuss the new application.
“It is difficult to understand how any of the iwi representatives thought they had already answered us about something that had not previously been presented or discussed with us,” Mr Sutherland said.
At a meeting organised with local iwi at Bay View, Napier, last month, Mr Sutherland was about to start a presentation when he was stopped by iwi representatives who told him they were not interested in a wind farm of any type.
Ngati Hineuru representative Whetu Tipiwai claimed he was continually harassed by phone by Unison’s Maori liaison officer Mahanga Maru.
Iwi lawyer Jolene Patuawa said Unison’s consultation had been inappropriate and it should have been clear by the lack of iwi response that there was no interest in a wind farm of any size being built on the range.
Ms Patuawa noted that the Economic Development Ministry and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority had supported the application before withdrawing their support after iwi lodged a claim with the Waitangi Tribunal.
The iwi considered the organisations’ support a breach of the Treaty after the previous ruling found the application would have caused cultural harm, Ms Patuawa said.
The hearing is expected to last two weeks.
Marty Sharpe
10 November 2008
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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