August 21, 2007
New Zealand
New Zealand
The legal bill from Palmerston North City Council’s plans for the Turitea Reserve wind farm so far is half a million dollars.
The council is to receive a payment of $250,000 from development partner Mighty River Power upon confirmation of the change to the purposes of the reserve.
The $503,000 figure was revealed at the council’s economic and finance committee meeting last night.
Friends of Turitea Reserve Society took the council to the High Court over its processes in changing the purposes of the reserve to include generation of renewable energy.
The society had sought a judicial review, but the court ruled in the council’s favour in July.
The court did not impose legal costs against the society, however, finding the society raised a legitimate public issue that needed to be resolved. The appeal period runs out this week.
Mighty River Power, a state- owned enterprise, is yet to apply for resource consents for the farm, which would include up to 60 turbines.
By Grant Miller
Manawatu Standard
21 August 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/08/21/big-legal-bill-for-turitea/