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Two large-scale solar farm developments are either approved or progressing through the consent process in the wider Nelson Lakes region.
Tasman District Council has granted a non-notified resource consent for a solar farm at Mt Ella Station in the Matakitaki Valley, near Murchison.
The project is a joint venture between New Zealand Energy and REM Farming and is expected to generate about 148 gigawatt-hours of electricity each year, enough to power an estimated 20,000 homes.
The development will cover about 155 hectares of the 760ha station, which borders parts of Nelson Lakes National Park and Department of Conservation land.
About 187,200 solar panels will be installed across flat terraces alongside the Matakitaki River, with about 3km of underground cabling needed to connect the site to the local grid.
Council reports say landscaping using black and red beech trees will help soften views of the solar farm and blend it into the surrounding native forest.
The council’s notification report notes the surrounding Department of Conservation administered land and river areas are used for hunting, tramping, mountaineering access and angling, but concludes adverse effects on recreational users would be less than minor.
Consent conditions include restrictions on vegetation clearance during the bird breeding season between August and March.
Meanwhile, a separate proposal by Far North Solar Farm Limited near St Arnaud is still progressing through the consent process.
The company has applied to establish a 120-megawatt solar farm at 1924 Korere–Tophouse Rd, Kikiwa, comprising about 200,000 solar panels across 139 hectares of Rural 2-zoned land.
The renewable energy generated would feed into Transpower’s adjoining Kikiwa substation.
The council has determined the application should proceed on a limited notified basis because some affected parties did not provide written approval. Eight submissions were received, with six opposing the proposal, one neutral subject to conditions, and one supporting it with conditions.
Formal hearing arrangements are still pending while the council waits for payment of the application’s base deposit fee.
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