Absurd Solar Consent Requirements Driving Up Power Bills

Scoop

17 hours ago

'Central Hawke's Bay's solar farm consent conditions show the absurd demands councils can impose, adding cost, causing delays, and driving up New Zealanders' power bills,' says ACT MP Simon Court.
ACT has obtained details of the resource consents for solar farms in Central Hawke's Bay, which include requirements such as:
Inviting mana whenua to perform karakia before removing any native trees or plants from the site.
Providing written reports every six months until two years after construction is finished, outlining compliance with a 66-page Cultural Impact Assessment—with ongoing reporting beyond that.
Submitting a detailed landscaping plan specifying:
Every plant's botanical and common name.
Exact location, spacing, and planter bag size.
Soil preparation methods and planting techniques.
The type and quality of materials used for planting like soil, mulch, stakes, and ties.
A requirement to replace any dead plant with the same or similar species at the same size.
Constructing a ' public viewing area ' with off-street parking, and informational and educational signage.
"This is what's driving up your power bill. Councils say they want renewable energy, but then demand ceremonial chanting and spreadsheet-level detail about every shrub on site," says Court.
'One of the companies forced to deal with these absurd demands went bankrupt. How many more projects just never get built at all?
'All this while New Zealanders shiver in the cold, unable to pay their power bills and threatened with blackouts. We need more power generation, whatever form that takes. That requires freedom to build, and ditching this rubbish.
'We see the same thing happening with supermarkets, IKEA, even hospitals. This madness raises prices at the checkout and on power bills.
'We should be rolling out the welcome mat for anyone who wants to deliver more, cheaper power. Instead, we're burying them in demands based on metaphysical concepts and box-ticking reports.
'That's why ACT is committed to scrapping the beast that is the RMA and replacing it with a system based on property rights, without a general Treaty principles clause so we can build the things we need to make our lives better and more affordable.'
The Resource Consent for the Centralines Limited project could power roughly 7,500 homes per year. Consent here.
The Resource Consent for the Skysolar Limited (now in liquidation) project would power 18,000 homes per year. Consent here.