Project Hurunui Wind Construction and Project Overview

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Project Hurunui Wind Construction Effects and Management Report • Local shallow depressions or the tops and upper reaches of natural dry gullies with good containment are favoured for compaction, aesthetics, rehabilitation and to reduce the risk of erosion and damming of natural drainage paths. • Well drained, broad and gentle terrain is also suitable to ensure minimal impact to natural flow paths. Fill material can be shaped to reinstate natural flow paths or to create alternative drainage paths as well as blend into the terrain. Sites not suitable as fill sites are: • Boggy or wet areas. • Gullies or valleys with perennial watercourses. • Steeper areas where fill cannot be contained in particular slopes. • Areas of high ecological value. 2. Haul Length - The haul length to and from fill sites needs to be minimised wherever possible to maximise efficiency and to minimise plant traffic. 3. Geotechnical – Avoid obvious areas of seepage and soft, steep or unstable areas. Several potential fill sites, near turbine positions and along proposed access roads, have been identified within the site to accommodate the projected volume of earthworks. These have been identified by desk top study and site visits. Photographs 50 to 58 in Appendix B illustrate some of these potential fill sites. The extent and final position of each fill site will be determined during the detailed design phase and will be based on the criteria outlined above and the proposed construction methodology. Refinement of fill site layouts will take place under the framework of the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for the site which is outlined in Appendix E. As part of the process for selecting final fill sites, the design/construction team will discuss the location, size and depth of potential fill sites with respective landowners, relevant stakeholders (Councils or other) and the project environmental team to incorporate their requirements. The fill site selection strategy will involve selecting sites of limited size to control the area of disturbance and control later re-generation. The site selection strategy will also consider visual effects by aiming to keep fill areas “internal” to the site so that they are obscured from external view as far as possible. 2.5 Assessment of Effects & General Consultation During the development of the preliminary engineering plans, the proposed wind farm layout was discussed amongst Meridian's assessment of environmental effects (AEE) team comprising transmission, ecological, noise, planning, traffic, landscape, cultural and archaeological specialists. 5C-1604.02 February 2011 10
Project Hurunui Wind Construction Effects and Management Report The AEE team also met on site to discuss the project layout. A key outcome of the process was the endorsement of the identified turbine sites and road alignments by the assessment team, in particular: • Identification and the accurate location of any archaeological, cultural and ecological sites of significance. • Identifying preferred main access routes and turbine locations (if necessary) to avoid environmentally, culturally and archaeologically sensitive areas. • Criteria for fill site (and borrow area) selection: Avoiding (as identified in Ecological Values and Assessment of Effects report prepared by Boffa Miskell): Covenanted areas such as the recently covenanted QEII land within the Turnbull property. A totara forest remnant within the Batchelor property. • Avoiding where possible (as identified in Ecological Values and Assessment of Effects report prepared by Boffa Miskell): Areas of higher ecological value. 2.6 Implementation Team Review Areas for fill sites and construction works within the Motunau and Cave hydrological catchment areas by locating these areas in neighbouring northern catchments. This is because the northern catchment areas have been assessed as having less sensitive receiving environments than the Motunau and Cave receiving environments. This is generally feasible where these construction areas straddle both catchments. Meridian’s project construction implementation team completed a site visit on 15 April 2009 and 30 July 2009 to provide input and feedback on the proposed layout based on experience from other Meridian wind farm projects including Project Te Apiti, Project White Hill and Project West Wind. Input from this process contributed to: • Refining the layout of access roads and turbine positions. • Updating construction timeframes and construction sequencing (discussed in Section 6). • Refining the lay down area strategy and selection. • Identifying a potential site office area and lay down areas. • Identifying potential substation area. • Identifying internal transmission route options. 5C-1604.02 February 2011 11
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Project Hurunui Wind Construction and Project Overview

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