Latest news with #Fast-trackApprovalsAct
Otago Daily Times
19 hours ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Solar farm proposals on different tracks
Two major solar energy developments in Otago are taking very different paths, one opting for a government fast-track route, the other choosing the traditional resource consent process amid significant public scrutiny. Black Point Solar Farm, proposed by Black Point Solar Ltd, is among 149 projects included under the Fast-track Approvals Act, passed into law in December. The company plans to build the solar farm on a 240ha sheep and deer property about 5km from Duntroon in North Otago. If approved, the farm would consist of 380,000 solar panels — enough to power about 38,000 homes. "As part of the project, sheep or other compatible farming will continue under and around the solar panels, maintaining the productive potential of the site," the application reads. Construction would begin once consent and financing were secured, completion being expected within two years. Initial discussions have been held with Network Waitaki, Transpower, the Waitaki District Council, local MP Miles Anderson and neighbouring property owners. However, an Environment Protection Authority Fast-track spokesperson said yesterday Black Point Solar Farm had not yet lodged a substantive fast-track application. No timeline has been set for lodging the full application. Meanwhile, further inland in Central Otago, Helios Energy is pursuing a 660ha solar farm in the Maniototo between Naseby and Ranfurly. Helios announced the project in October 2023 but chose to forgo the fast-track option in favour of the conventional consent process. A Central Otago District Council hearing is scheduled for August 19-21 in Ranfurly. The original proposal included a 300MW installation with 550,810 solar panels aligned in sun-tracking rows and a battery energy-storage system (BESS). However, in May, Helios dropped the battery component following community concerns about fire risks and insufficient information about suppression systems. Construction is now delayed until at least 2029. Community response has been mixed. Of the 179 submissions received, 23 were in favour and 12 were neutral. The remaining 144 opposed the development, with concerns ranging from fire safety and noise pollution to glint and glare from the panels. At a public meeting in Ranfurly last December, former Delta employee and whistleblower Richard Healey spoke about risks associated with utility-scale solar projects. Fire was a major concern due to the gases given off if the panels ignited. Retreat would be difficult and a possible fire would put stock at risk. Nearby residents also voiced worries over construction impacts. The plan requires driving 10,000 metal stakes 2m into the ground, a process locals fear could generate disruptive noise and vibrations.
Otago Daily Times
19 hours ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Listings aplenty but values up
In the 'bubble' that is the Queenstown property market, with our population ever rising, residential values continue increasing despite it still being a buyers' market. That's a conclusion from the Queenstown section of Colliers Otago's latest property market review and outlook that's out today. For the second year running, the theme remains one of 'cautious optimism' despite global economic uncertainty causing many buyers to take a wait-and-see approach. "Buyers are aware that they have the negotiating advantage and are taking longer to commit, assessing the multitude of options, and displaying high price sensitivity," the report states. "Despite this, the Queenstown residential market maintains a gentle upward momentum with a gradual, more stable period of value growth occurring." As an example, the mean or average dwelling price has risen year by year from $1,744,962 in 2022 to $2,035,163 this year. Despite buyer hesitancy, sales activity is also up — in 2022 there were 486 section and dwelling sales, in '23, 490, and last year, 588. But already this year there've been 414 sales in the first six months, including 40 of $3million-plus, of which nine have been over $5m. As interest rates have lowered, first-home buyers, the report says, have been active in the sub-$1.5m market, and investors have also got involved as leaving money in the bank has become less attractive. "Entry-level suburbs like Fernhill, Sunshine Bay, Hanley's Farm, Shotover Country and Frankton continued to see good demand for listings." It also notes there've been plenty of sub-$1m off-plan listings in townhouse developments. On the other hand, the report notes a sharp increase in section prices due to a shortage of titled, flat, entry-level land. In February, the final Hanley's Farm sections sold with per square metre prices from $1000 for larger sites to $1400 for smaller sites. In the same month, the first sections in neighbouring Park Ridge were priced from $1394 to $1566 per sqm for a 371sqm site. Ironically, Jack's Point's offering better value with larger sites selling for between $1000 and $1300 per sqm, albeit at a much higher quantum level. Mean section prices have risen from $877,867 in '24 to $1,061,925 this year. Due to land demand, larger sites with older dwelling are being subdivided in areas like Arrowtown, Lake Hayes Estate and central Queenstown. Colliers notes of course there are also several big subdivisions under consideration under the Fast-track Approvals Act. "If these proceed, a renewed influx of level sites should come online in the next 18-24 months ... "However, difficulties with infrastructure development may delay some of these projects." Local Colliers valuation director Heather Beard says there's also an influx of rentals coming onstream from both the many home and income properties at Hanley's Farm and the completion of Frankton's Five Mile Villas. The report refers to "some softening" in the rental market since late last year — "the median vacancy period has extended to 21 days and demand is subdued". "The anticipated slowdown in residential construction, driven by infrastructure constraints, is likely to help alleviate the current oversupply in the rental market." Can Arrowtown keep chains at bay? With more international retail chains opening in Queenstown's CBD, the Colliers report says the ripple effect's reaching Arrowtown's commercial core. Rents there have risen in the past 12 months "and further increases are expected in the short term". "The question now is whether Arrowtown's commercial centre can retain its unique character and charm, or whether generic commercial expansion and retail chains will overtake locally owned businesses?"
Scoop
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Government To Stop Council Plan Changes
Minister Responsible for RMA Reform The Government will stop councils wasting their officers' time and their ratepayers' money on plan changes in advance of the new planning system coming into force, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says. 'The Resource Management Act (RMA) has crippled New Zealand for decades, and the Government's planning system reforms are well underway to make it easier to get things done in New Zealand,' Mr Bishop says. 'We've already made a series of quick and targeted amendments to provide relief to our primary sector and passed the Fast-track Approvals Act to speed up the consenting process for projects with regional or nationally significant benefits. We've also opened consultation on sweeping changes to the regulations that sit under the RMA, and next month our second RMA Amendment Bill is expected to pass into law which will make important changes in the short-term to make it quicker and simpler to consent renewable energy, boost housing supply, and reduce red tape for the primary sector. 'Later this year the Government will introduce two new Acts to completely replace the RMA – one Act to focus on land-use planning and the second to focus on the natural environment. The new system will provide a framework that makes it easier to plan and deliver infrastructure as well as protect the environment. 'The existing RMA mandates that councils review their plans and policy statements every ten years. This has led to a situation where, even though councils know the RMA's days are numbered, many are required to continue with time consuming, expensive plan-making processes under the RMA. 'Much of this planning work won't be completed or implemented by the time the new system takes effect in 2027. Even if it were, it would need significant changes in the next couple of years to comply with the new planning laws. 'So rather than let these pricey, pointless planning and policy processes play out, the Government will be giving councils clarity on where to focus their efforts while they await the new planning system. 'The Government will suspend councils' mandatory RMA requirements to undertake plan and regional policy statement reviews every ten years, and the requirement to implement national planning standards. We will also extend the restriction on notifying freshwater planning instruments which we put in place last year. 'Councils will be required to withdraw plan reviews and changes that have not started hearings as soon as possible and within 90 days of the law coming into effect. Any rules that have immediate legal effect will continue to apply until the plan review or plan change is withdrawn by councils and then those rules will no longer apply. We will also stop new plan changes and reviews from being notified, except where there is good reason for them to continue. 'This decision has been made after careful consideration, and a recommendation from an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) that the Government relieve some of the workload of councils in the lead up to the new resource management system. 'The Government's intention is that stopping plan requirements for councils will enable them to focus on critical work to prepare to transition to the new system.' Exemption pathways and notification 'Plan reviews and changes will be stopped through an Amendment Paper to the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill, which is expected to become law next month. There are a limited number of plan changes that will be automatically exempt from the stopping of a plan change. Examples of automatic exemptions include Streamlined Planning Processes and private plan changes (which are initiated by landowners and developers). 'The Government believes it's also important that councils can continue work on proposed plans, or parts of proposed plans, that relate to natural hazard management as well as for plan changes required by Treaty settlement agreements. Proposed plans that address these matters will be subject to an exemption. 'The proposed amendment also allows councils to apply to the Minister for the Environment for an exemption to continue or notify a new plan change. 'I want to be clear that stopping plan changes does not mean stopping progress on work that supports the Government's priorities in areas like housing, intensification and urban development, and councils will have pathways to continue with work that unlocks housing growth,' Minister Bishop says.
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Another Canty solar farm on cards
Genesis is on track to make a final investment decision midway into next year to spend $110 million on building another large solar farm in Canterbury. The planned venture in Leeston would have 74,400 solar panels over 111ha. This follows the power company launching a $104m solar farm with peak generation of 63MWp (Megawatt peak) at Lauriston, also in Canterbury, in a joint venture with FRV Australia last April. More than 90,000 solar panels on the 93ha site are now generating up to 100GWh (Gigawatt hours) of electricity a year, enough to power nearly 13,000 households. Leeston would potentially start generating 67MWp, up to 110GWh/pa in 2017. This could become the company's third-largest solar farm behind proposals to also build more sites at Foxton (80MWp) and Edgecumbe (127MWp). Genesis said Leeston could be built before the other two sites and all three of them were pending final investment decisions. Unlike Lauriston, the power company plans to make the full investment in developing Leeston without FRV Australia. Farmland would be leased for the project. Chief operating officer Tracey Hickman said consents were in place for the project with designs progressing towards the final investment decision stage. She said the project could be expected to serve the power needs of 15,700 households. Genesis was committed to scaling up its solar generation, she said. "To meet New Zealand's net zero 2050 target, 95% of electricity generation must come from renewable sources, up from 85% today. "Solar is a good addition to New Zealand's generation mix and when it reaches scale it will play an important role in helping manage supply when hydro levels are low and the wind doesn't blow at windfarms." She said the company's Gen35 strategy included a target to build 500MW of solar capacity throughout New Zealand. "The Leeston site will be another step toward achieving that. "Solar is also the perfect partner to the grid-scale battery we're installing at Huntly Power Station. "We'll be able to store the equivalent energy generated by our solar farms during the day, and release it at night when demand is high." The Lauriston site is proving to be a successful solar farm and the company appreciated the community support during its construction, she said. "We're excited to progress the Leeston site and others we have in our pipeline around the country." Genesis was continuing to make progress on the Edgecumbe development, lining up early engineering and main contracts as it headed toward a final investment decision later this year. The solar farm has a targeted operational date of early to mid 2027. The company's solar farm site in Foxton, near Palmerston North was accepted for inclusion under the Fast-track Approvals Act and would be presented for approval once due diligence was completed. Many more solar farms throughout the country are on the drawing board, including Waikato's proposed Tauhei Solar Farm, near Te Aroha, between UK's Harmony Energy and First Renewables Ltd, of 202MWp. Far North Solar Farm Ltd has applied for a land use consent from Hurunui District Council to build a 181ha site in North Canterbury's Waipara. Submissions will be accepted by residents until July 24 for the publicly notified proposal to put in 250,000 panels generating up to 145MWp, enough to power about 30,000 homes. Further proposals by the company have included a 450MWp solar development on 670ha near Lake Benmore. Among others, Helios Energy had put plans on hold to consider community feedback for 560,000 solar panels with the potential to power up to 70,000 homes at a solar farm between Naseby and Ranfurly in Central Otago on 660ha.
Scoop
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
We Haven't Sold Out: Council To Clarify Seabed Mine Stance
Article – Craig Ashworth – Local Democracy Reporting Taranaki Regional Council is going public against accusations it has sold out to would-be seabed miners Trans-Tasman Resources. Taranaki Regional Council is going public against accusations it has sold out to would-be seabed miners Trans-Tasman Resources. The Australian company has a permit to mine the seabed off Pātea for an initial 20 years, seeking to extract iron, titanium and vanadium. But Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) can't begin mining until it gets discharge consents to pump 45 million tonnes of unwanted sediment a year into the ocean. Iwi and community opponents of seabed mining spoke to councillors meeting on Tuesday morning, urging them to stand with their communities against the proposed mine. But the regional council wants to hang on to any influence it might have in the government's new Fast-track process – and fears taking a public stand might block it from decision-making. Councillor Bonita Bigham said Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) needed to state clearly what it's trying to achieve by staying neutral for now. 'I've been… attacked on social media [and] in private for not having a position,' the Māori constituency councillor said. 'I've been accused of being a sell-out and having been bought out by TTR… I think this is a real risk to our reputation as an organisation.' Bigham said those in the room – including opponents – understood the reason for neutrality. 'But we've got 100,000 people out there who don't understand why we aren't saying something.' As previously published by Local Democracy Reporting, TRC has three likely ways to have a say on the fate of Trans-Tasman's application under the Fast-track Approvals Act The council will help pick one of the four (or more) panel members that will approve or deny the seabed mining. And TRC staff are almost certain they'll be a relevant local authority and be one of the few groups allowed to formally comment on Trans-Tasman's application – and on any consent conditions. Councillor Susan Hughes KC advised elected members to be cautious even in their private lives. 'It's just a useful thing to remind ourselves that it's not helpful if we're expressing opinions we think are informal at a social gathering or something like that – it has the potential for coming back to bite us.' She advised councillors keep the discussion between themselves 'so we don't risk undermining the effectiveness that we might otherwise wish to bring to bear on behalf of the regional council.' Council chair Craig Williamson said individuals could have personal discussions to help form their views, but agreed the council would issue a press release to make its position clear.
