Save Waipara Valley

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Save Waipara Valley

Save Waipara ValleySave Waipara ValleySave Waipara Valley
  • Home
  • Facts
  • IMPACT
  • GREENWASHING
  • UPDATES
  • FAQS
  • SPEAK OUT NOW
  • Henderson-Dalley Study

Welcome to Save Waipara Valley

Welcome to Save Waipara ValleyWelcome to Save Waipara ValleyWelcome to Save Waipara Valley

Welcome to Save Waipara Valley

Welcome to Save Waipara ValleyWelcome to Save Waipara ValleyWelcome to Save Waipara Valley

WAIPARA SOLAR FARM PROPOSAL: SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN!

Essential info about the proposal

Essential info about the proposal

Essential info about the proposal

Deadline 14th August

Essential info about the proposal

Essential info about the proposal

How to submit

Essential info about the proposal

How to submit

SITE MAP

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

HOW TO SUBMIT

Submissions deadline extended to 5pm Thursday, 14th August

Hurunui District Council (HDC) has publicly notified an application to build a 180-hectare industrial solar plant in Waipara.


HDC has made this decision because it considers the proposal would have an adverse effect on the environment that is more than minor.


It is now open for anyone interested or concerned about the proposal to make a submission. The deadline has been extended to 5pm on Thursday 14th August (read why here).


  • Anyone can make a submission.  


  • If you do not make a submission now, you will not be able to have a say later on.


  • Submissions can be made online, by email or on paper: see the HDC website here.


  • Submissions can be as brief or as long as you choose. One sentence is fine, or one page or more.


  • You do not need to live in Waipara to make a submission.


  • The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Thursday 14th August.


The Council's s.95 Report concluded that the proposal is not consistent with the objectives and policies of the District plan, "as the landscape and visual effects of the proposal have been assessed as being more than minor and as such I do not consider the proposal adequately manages the effects on rural character and amenity values as sought by the objective and policy framework". 


The Peer Review found the effects of the proposal would be more extensive and severe than the applicant's assessment. 

Key links

How to make a submission: Submissions can be made using an online form, by email, or on paper. All the details are on the HDC website here.


Key facts: A summary of key facts about the proposal is available here.


Community concerns: Click here for an overview of the most commonly-raised concerns about the proposal.


About the Applicant: Find out more about developer FNSF Ltd & offshore investors Aquila Capital Ltd.

SUBMIT HERE

help with submissions

Save Waipara Valley is holding meetings and drop-in sessions to assist anyone with questions about the submission process. Please join our mailing list if you would like to be notified of the next date.


You can also visit us at the Amberley Market for information about the submissions process, FAQs about the proposal, and next steps. Saturdays, 9.30am - 13.30pm outside the Council building (weather permitting).

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

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

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

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

CONTACT US

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