Save Waipara Valley

WAIPARA SOLAR FARM - HEADING TO THE ENVIRONMENT COURT?

The Council-appointed hearing of a consent application to build a 180-hectare solar farm in the heart of the Waipara Valley is scheduled to take place in May 2026.

Although over 80% of submitters are against the Waipara solar farm proposal, a recent article by a Hurunui District Council Board Member described the proposal as "poised for the green light" - leaving many in the community to wonder if the hearing outcome is a foregone conclusion, and appeal to the Environment Court now inevitable.

We encourage anyone concerned about the Waipara solar farm proposal to engage in the hearing process in May. It may be that this is the first step in the Waipara solar farm's longer journey to the Environment Court, but it is an important step and the first opportunity for the community to be heard.

With several contentious legal issues at play, and strong community opposition, the May hearing is the first stage of a judicial process that could see the Waipara solar farm proposal being considered by the Environment Court, the Court of Appeal, or potentially even the NZ Supreme Court.

Find out more about the proposal

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