Ecological value of Lammermoor site studied at hearing
The ecological value of Central Otago’s Lammermoor Range was yesterday scrutinised at an Environment Court hearing into the Meridian Energy Project Hayes wind farm.
Appearing as a witness for the power company, terrestrial ecologist Dr Ruth Bartlett told four commissioners that 346 hectares of the 9200ha site would be disturbed during construction of the wind farm.
Upland Landscape Protection Society representative Ewan Carr asked Dr Bartlett whether the Project Hayes site was of higher ecological value than the location of the consented Mahinerangi wind farm.
‘‘Project Hayes certainly has a large continuous feature of snow tussock grassland,’’ Dr Bartlett replied.
‘‘It is less affected (than Mahinerangi) by full pasture improvement practices.’’
However, she said Mahinerangi had high ecological values equivalent to those of the Project Hayes site in areas such as waterways.
Citing a report by University of Otago emeritus professor Alan Mark, Maniototo Environmental Society lawyer Mike Holm suggested it would be ‘‘difficult, if not impossible’’ to revegetate the site in snow tussock following excavations, because of the poor viability of seeding and the short growing season at high altitude.
Dr Bartlett conceded that replanting would ‘‘not be an attempt to recreate a snow tussock grassland’’, and that additional seeding of exotic species would help to stabilise excavated land more quickly.
Alexandra resident Andrew Douglas asked why a comprehensive ecological assessment and cataloguing of the Project Hayes site had not been undertaken.
Dr Bartlett: ‘‘We would need to put in a great deal more effort . . . but that’s not the approach that’s been taken here, because it’s not necessarily helpful.’’
Commissioning minor preliminary reports and then building on them later if necessary was standard practice on projects of this type, she said.
By Will Hine
The Southland Times
29 January 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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