Save Waipara Valley

Will ecan listen?

700 people have asked ECAN to publicly notify the consent applications made to Canterbury Regional Council for a 180-hectare solar plant proposal in the heart of the Waipara Valley.

Despite this overwhelming public interest, current indications are that ECAN will refuse to publicly notify - and therefore will not allow for any public consultation.

If you think ECAN should publicly notify this proposal - or if you would be affected, and think you should be included under limited notification - let ECAN know NOW:

Email planner Reuben Herz-Edinger at reuben.herz-edinger@ecan.govt.nz

The ECAN consents cover two important aspects of the proposal:

37-hectares of earthworks

stormwater discharge the 236,000 panels

Effects ECAN will need to consider include noise, dust, potential for ground and freshwater contamination, amenity & health impacts, and more

Find out more about the proposal

SITE MAP

The plant would run for almost 4km along the Alpine Pacific Touring Route, between Waipara township and the Weka Pass

COMMUNITY CONCERNS

Australian-owned company FNSF Ltd in partnership with offshore investment company Aquila Capital has applied for consents to build a 180.8 hectare industrial solar farm in the beautiful Waipara Valley. Many local residents and businesses are passionate about the environment and support solar power done well - but there is community concern about the impact on the community, the details of this proposal, and the business history of FNSF's directors.

"Although the probability of an ignition and fire per PV module is low, the overall probability is much greater due the number of panels installed across the three areas. Given the 35-year or more estimated lifetime of the farm, it is likely that there is a PV module fire throughout this lifetime. "

Fire Risk Assessment for FNSF Ltd's proposed Greytown solar plant,

presented to Hurunui District Council by FNSF in support of its Waipara proposal. Read the full Fire Risk Assessment here

"Just because energy production is renewable, it’s not necessarily sustainable”

Greenpeace lead climate campaigner Christine Rose - full piece here

"The Fair Go video and Commerce Commission letter are concerning"

MP for Waipara Stuart Smith, on learning of the fraught business history of FNSF's directors - read more here

"The impacts of polycrystalline solar panels on highly productive lands and the environment"

Canterbury-based study of the effects of solar panels on highly productive soils, by a scientist-farmer collaboration. Read the full study here

Renewable energy generation must work for our communities, not against them, and offshore interests should not be prioritized over the local environment and economy.

FNSF 'waipara solar farm': the FUNDAMENTALS

Short on time? These are the key facts about FNSF Ltd's proposal:

380 Waipara Flat Road

180.8 hectares

Adjacent to SH7 for 3.6km

236,768 panels

69,280 piles

2.8m max height

2.1m high fence + 3 strands barbed wire

37 hectares of earthworks

7 km of internal roads

30 inverters

3,500 sqm building

2 years of construction

Highly Productive Land

Alpine-Pacific Touring Route

Construction prior to planting

Will create Glint & Glare

Will create Noise

No irrigation of native planting

more ABOUT THE WAIPARA SOLAR FARM PLAN & COMMUNITY CONCERNS

The Applications

The applications from FNSF Ltd are for an industrial-scale "solar farm" in the Waipara Valley. Developers have been in contact with Hurunui District Council since March 2023, and in March 2024 lodged the consent applications. Submissions on the applications are now open until 5pm on Thursday 24 July.

View the applications in full & make a submission at the link below.

READ & SUBMIT

The Site

The Applications

380 Waipara Flat Road is currently a 200ha farm of highly-productive agricultural land. It runs along State Highway 7 on the Alpine-Pacific Touring Route en-route to Hanmer Springs for about 4km. It is bounded by the Weka Creek and lies between vineyards and farms.

Click below to explore our initial work on the impact the proposal would have on this unique area.

IMPACT

The Developers

The Applications

The Developers

The proposed Waipara "solar farm" is an industrial power plant. It is being proposed by Australian-owned company Far North Solar Farm Ltd ('FNSF'), backed by global investment fund Aquila Capital Ltd.

Click below for information on the history of FNSF's directors - as covered on Fair Go, and described by MP Stuart Smith as "concerning".

DEVELOPER'S HISTORY

STAY INFORMED

Sign up for news and updates, including community meetings and 'drop-in' submission sessions.

savewaiparavalley@outlook.com

Find out more about the proposed Waipara solar plant

SPEAK OUT NOW