The beginning of what's to come
Since last week, there have been two intensely bright, steady red lights shining all night on Quartz Hill in Makara (about 8 kilometres distant from my house and bright enough to glow inside my lounge).
These lights are just the beginning of night illuminations from the West Wind industrial estate as the towers are lit only when they reach a predetermined height.
If like me, others enjoy the night sky, the silhouettes of the hills as they merge into the sky at dusk, and watch for the first stars over the western horizon, now is the time to look their last on these sights.
The proliferation of these aviation lights will happen quickly now, and when Mill Creek (Ohariu Valley) is built, more lights will appear.
This time the intense red lights will flash 20 to 60 times a minute and all those prone to epilepsy will have to retreat behind blackout curtains and evening barbecues will become a distant memory.
The blatant trashing of our precious landscapes to the detriment of the whole of Wellington will soon become very visible to all as Meridian Energy continues on its money-grubbing path up the west coast of the Wellington region.
PATRICIA SEARLE
Ohariu Valley
6 March 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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