name: - geography | university of canterbury october 2010... · web viewone negative effect that...

Name:

Burnside High School Level 1 Geography

AssessmentOctober 2010

Achievement Standard 90207: Examine a contemporary geographic issue.

Credits: Three

Project HurunuiAssessment Criteria

The student is able to examine: the geographic nature of this issue the viewpoints that relate to this issue. the courses of action involved in this issue and make a justified recommendation.

Introduction

Project Hurunui is State-owned power generator Meridian Energy’s proposal for a 33-turbine wind farm in North Canterbury. Situated on privately-owned farmland in the Greta Valley, 65 kilometres north of Christchurch, it would produce enough electricity to power 30,000 homes and help address the electricity needs of the top half of the South Island

Student Instructions

1. Refer to the Project Hurunui Resource Booklet. The information in this booklet will help you to complete the tasks in this assessment activity.

2. You have two hours in which to complete this assessment activity.

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Task 1: The Geographic Nature of the Issue

a. Identify and describe two positive effects that Project Hurunui will have for people:

i. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ii. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b. Identify and describe one negative effect that Project Hurunui will have for people:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c. Identify and describe one negative effect that Project Hurunui will have for the environment:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Task 2: Examine the viewpoints associated with the issue.

Refer to the Resource Booklet.a. Locate and name on the values continuum below, the probable viewpoint on Project Hurunui

held by any three of the following groups, organisations or people:

Meridian Energy John Carr Landowners on whose land the wind turbines will be erected the Hurunui District Council Canterbury residents

For the wind farm

Against the wind farm

b. For each of the three groups, organisations or people that you have located on the values continuum above, name each group, organisation or person and describe fully their views about Project Hurunui and explain why each holds this particular viewpoint on this issue.

Use specific evidence from the resources to support your answers.

Name of group, organisation or person 1: ______________________________Viewpoint and explanation: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Task 3: Evaluate possible courses of action.

a. Evaluate the two possible courses of action given below by providing two valid strengths and two valid weaknesses for each course of action.Use specific evidence from the resources as well as your own opinion as to what you think about the strengths and weaknesses of each course of action.

Courses of Action:

1. Allow Project Hurunui to proceed. Strengths:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Weaknesses: ______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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2. Do not allow Project Hurunui to proceed. Strengths:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Weaknesses: ______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b. Choose one of the two courses of action listed above and explain why you consider this course of action to be the better one of the two.

Course of Action =

It is the better course of action because ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c. Why do you consider this course of action to be better than the other course of action?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Judgement Record


Assessment Criteria Not Achieved Achieved Merit Excellence

Geographic nature of the issue

Viewpoints related to the issue

Possible courses of action and

recommendation

GRADE AWARDED

Assessor: ____________________

Burnside High School Level 1 Geography

Assessment


Credits: Three

Project Hurunui

RESOURCE BOOKLET

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Greta Valley

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Meridian eyes North Canterbury wind farmMONDAY, 05/04/10

State-owned power generator Meridian Energy has plans for a 33-turbine wind

farm in North Canterbury.

The 76 megawatt project, with wind turbines up to 130 metres high, could produce enough electricity to

power 30,000 homes and help address the electricity needs of the top half of the South Island,

spokesman Alan Seay said.

Project Hurunui, on private property owned by local farmers in the Greta Valley, about 65km north of

Christchurch, was estimated to cost between $200 million and $220m.

Meridian had started the consultation process, which included talking to locals and the Hurunui District

Council, but it was some way from applying for resource consent, Mr Seay said.

Meridian would probably go through the usual consent process with the council, he said, rather than the

call-in option, where the Minister for the Environment can appoint an independent board or the

Environment Court to hear the case.

"It's in a part of the country that needs generation. The northern half of the South Island has to have

power transmitted from further south. There's not a lot of generation capacity in that part of the country,"

Mr Seay said.

"For that reason it's a good place to be looking to develop."

Meridian had monitored the Hurunui site for a year and had presented its plans to the Hurunui District

Council.

Hurunui District Deputy Mayor Michael Malthus, of Hanmer Springs, said the proposal would be

considered in more detail once Meridian had applied for resource consent.

"We have got to be aware of renewable energy – that's the policy of central government too – but equally

we have to be aware of any environmental impact," he said.

Hurunui District councillor Russell Black, who lives about 6km from the proposed site, said not everyone

was opposed to the wind farm, but he thought it was "appalling".

"This is only the start," he said. "Other property owners have been approached by other power

companies all up this valley."

He said farmers stood to gain about $15,000 a year from each turbine – a figure Meridian would not

discuss because it was a commercial arrangement between the company and landowners.

"You can't blame them for taking it, but everyone else who lives in the valley has to look at these wind turbines," he said.

North Canterbury lines company Mainpower also has plans for a wind farm, on a 6.5km ridge of nearby

Mt Cass, 6km east of Waipara, which could generated enough electricity for 11,000 to 24,000 homes.

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Council Seeks Legal Opinion Over Wind Farm Proposal Thursday, 03/06/2010

The Hurunui District Council is seeking legal advice over the consent process for a proposed wind farm for the district. Meridian wants to install 33 turbines, with a combined generating capacity of 76 MW, from a proposed farm around Centre Hill, approximately 13 kilometres from the coast, on a site consisting primarily of pastoral farmland. It is expected to lodge a formal application within four to six weeks, though it does have the option of seeking a direct referral to the Environment Court. Direct referral allows applicants to bypass the resource consent hearing process which would normally be heard by the local territorial authority or appointed commissioners. Because it is a new and largely untested process, the Hurunui District Council has asked its lawyers to investigate the implications of this approach from the point of view of local decision making. The decision was made at a recent council meeting where councillors noted a level of community concern and reaction to the proposed wind farm, which had recently led to the involvement of police after the tyres on a Meridian vehicle were allegedly spiked. Mayor Garry Jackson said he was aware of growing disquiet in the community and it was acknowledged some residents appeared to be feeling disempowered. “These processes are always challenging to communities and there are many discussions to be had regarding overarching philosophies relating to energy generation and new data being put forward.“What is important is that these discussions are held in an appropriate forum in an appropriate way with all the relevant and current information available to facilitate an informed debate. “We therefore need to understand the implications of such a move for us and the applicants if we are to be comfortable proper process is followed and our community is able to fully participate in it. “ Direct referral is an option available to any applicant and the Council does have a say in whether the option can be taken up. It is asking its lawyers to outline the advantages and disadvantages of the different hearing options so that it properly understands the best process to use to ensure that the concerns of the community are heard while having regard to issues including anticipated costs.

HURUNUI DISTRICT COUNCIL

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Campaign to fight wind farmsPaul Gorman The Press Friday 02/07/10Energy Reporter

Meridian Energy is being accused of a North Canterbury “takeover by offering landowners supporting a proposed wind farm $15,000 a year for each turbine they allow on their land.The proposed wind farm is located about 66 kilometres north of Christchurch, within the territorial boundaries of Hurunui District Council, and it is situated between the Greta and Omihi communities.One farm, which would have 13 of Project Hurunui’s wind turbines, stands to make $195,000 a year from such a deal.Meridian denies the takeover accusation and says it has consulted the community for the past four months.A campaign against wind farms is being led by Greta Valley businessman John Carr.Carr, who lives near to Meridian’s proposed Project Hurunui wind farm, said he was willing to “stick my head above the parapet” to draw attention to the effects of the scheme and those of four other possible MainPower and TrustPower wind farms which are planned for the hills of North Canterbury.Eight hundred letters, in which Carr names the six landowners on whose land the wind turbines will be erected and labels the Project Hurunui proposal as “a large corporate, hostile takeover of our community, will be delivered this morning to Greta Valley, Omihi, Motunau, Scargill and Waipara residents.Carr’s letter includes a survey asking the residents to say by July 20 if they support or oppose the Meridian wind farm proposal.Carr, who bought the historic Tipapa woolshed to develop as a tourist attraction, told The Press that he was “igniting the debate and trying to remove the secrecy around agreements made by electricity companies so that everything about wind farms can be debated”.His main objections were noise, the visual impact on the landscape, the effect on property values and the difference in the amount of compensation to be paid to the community compared to what the landowners will receive.

height of the Christchurch Cathedral. They would generate 76 megawatts of electricity – enough to power about 30,000 households.Meridian spokeswoman Claire Shaw said that there was nothing secretive about the company’s consultation with the community.Meridian ran two popular and informative open days on Project Hurunui in May, she said.“We’ve been genuine, open and honest. We have been consulting with many people, including Mr Carr.However, Carr said his discussions with Meridian about mitigating the effects of the wind farm "came to nothing".Shaw expressed frustration at the difficulty of gaining resource consent for renewable energy projects, particularly wind and hydro, as compared to consent for conventional thermal projects.“New Zealanders have expressed a preference for renewable energy, the government has expressed a preference for it, and in a world that’s now putting a price on carbon, it’s potentially a significant competitive advantage for New Zealand.”“But the issue is getting access to those resources – it’s not easy.”A formal application for Project Hurunui is expected to be lodged by Meridian with the district council in the near future.John Macer and Sue Stevenson could have up to four turbines on their Omihi property.Macer said last night that he was “extremely disappointed” with Carr’s letter.“We see this proposal as another way to farm the land for much-needed electricity,” he said.“If the situation was reversed, we wouldn’t protest. We would be quite happy with someone who had a wind farm next to us.”MainPower has appealed to the Environment Court and engaged in mediation after resource consents for its planned Mt Cass wind farm were declined. It is investigating an alternative site at Scargill.

Meridian’s 31 hectare wind farm would have 33 130 metre-tall towers and rotors – nearly twice the

TrustPower is investigating two possible sites, one at Mt Vulcan and the other close to Motunau.

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Letters to the Editor – July, 2010Wind-generated power does not live

up to expectationsPeople who support wind farms ignore the fact that the rated power of a wind turbine is hardly ever achieved.Power output is proportional to the cube of wind speed and the rated power figure is valid only at the upper end of the range of wind speeds acceptable to the turbine systems. The more appropriate rating would be the average would be the average energy delivered to the grid – the units being megawatt hours per year.For the best wind farm site in New Zealand – Makara, west of Wellington – the energy output would be equivalent to about 40 per cent of the rated power estimate. For an average site it may be less than 30 per cent.So the figure normally quoted – the number of houses that could be powered by a particular wind farm – should be scaled down by a factor appropriate to the site.All the wind turbines in the country at present provide only about 2 per cent of New Zealand’s electrical energy.

DAVID BEACHChristchurch

How and where?No wind turbines. No hydro dams on the West Coast. No coal-fired power stations. No nuclear power plants. No solid-fuel stoves. No coal fires. Use electricity.New Zealand has to generate more power. May I ask how and where?

DAVID BISSONChristchurch

Wind power vitalJohn Carr says that “if this wind farm goes ahead, the landscape of North Canterbury is going to change forever” (July 2).Yes, if the wind farm goes ahead the skyline will change slightly. However, if we don’t start using sustainable energy it will change markedly and forever.We must put up with small inconveniences to ensure our country stays happy and healthy.I am not writing this as a person from the city, but as a North Canterbury fourth-generation country girl born and raised. BETHANY GARDINER-

MAYCOCK

Hanmer Springs

Good on themWhat business is it of one farmer what his neighbour does with his land?Farmers in the Greta Valley have the opportunity to farm wind and I say good on them.As for the argument that the landscape will be changed forever, if there ever was a country that has been completely transformed it is New Zealand.Do the “keep-as-it-is” crowd want the landscape that they remember as a child. Alternatively, do they want a return to a pre-European landscape? If they do, they had better remove all their sheep and cattle and dig up all their fruit trees. Then

Wind farms needed if N.Z. is to progress

The campaign to fight wind farms indicates that the flat earth society is alive and well in our country.As a nation, we want free education, a rising standard of living, State-funded superannuation, free health care, clean water, cheap energy and the latest technology. However, a number among us don’t want wind farms, hydro dams, fossil fuels, mining, irrigation or more intensive agriculture. Let’s hope that, for the sake of our future, these opinions remain in the minority.

BEVAN WITTYAkaroa

they can plough up their pasture grasses which are all from the Northern Hemisphere.If the preservationists have an argument about appearance, there are many people who think wind turbines are elegant, both for their appearance and what they represent.Objectors may have an argument about noise – if they were able to hear the turbines from their houses. But wind turbines are getting quieter as technology improves.

WILLIAM HUGHES-GAMESWaipara

Wrong battleThere are many valid reasons for objecting to a site for a wind farm, but envy of the farmers who will add revenue from turbines to the revenue that they get from other farming activities is not one of them.Meridian is proposing to build a wind farm on the hills between Omihi and Greta Valley. These grass-covered hills have little ecological value.If the people living in North Canterbury want a worthy battle to join, they should consider objecting to the wind farm that MainPower proposes for Mt Cass – a site that is home to at least 168 different species of native plants.

GLEN METCALFChristchurch

A nuclear futureThe more that people protest about wind generation and other clean forms of making electricity, the further they push New Zealand along the road to nuclear power plants.

HAMISH PETRIEChristchurch

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Q&A July 19, 2010Guyon Espiner questions Ken Smales and John Carr about Project Hurunui – Meridian Energy’s proposed wind farm development in North Canterbury.

What is your attitude towards the development of wind generation as a source of energy in New Zealand?Ken Smales: As a nation we are fortunate that 70 per cent of our electricity comes from renewable resources. Not only is it better for the environment, it reduces our present and future need to import costly fuels.Over the coming years New Zealand’s energy consumption will continue to increase, and this means that, without new generation, demand will outstrip supply.Coal and gas are not considered to be sustainable options for new generation. In terms of renewable energy, we currently rely upon hydro, geothermal and wind generation. Of these, wind generation is the least-cost renewable energy option for New Zealand.Meridian has been one of the pioneers in developing wind generation as a clean energy source in New Zealand. We have three wind farms in operation around the country. Together they produce 291 MW of electricity, enough to power 145,000 homes.Sooner or later, New Zealanders are going to have to make some choices about what new energy projects we can all live with. If, as polls seem to indicate, the favoured option is wind, then some landscapes will have to have wind farms built on them.

John Carr: I accept that New Zealand has to look to renewable energy projects to meet the country’s increasing electricity consumption. I agree that coal and gas are not viable options for new generation. I am not opposed to wind generation. Indeed, it is logical that wind generation be considered as part of the country’s renewable energy strategy.

Do you think that Project Hurunui is necessary?Ken Smales: Yes, definitely. At present, in the upper half of the South Island peak demand for electricity is 1000 MW. This far exceeds existing installed generation capacity (137 MW) north of the Waitaki River.

If more generation is not built north of the Waitaki significant grid enhancement will be required to meet the ever-increasing requirements of the region.This project would add a further 76 MW, enough to meet the annual energy requirements of more than 30,000 homes.

John Carr: I have to doubt the extent to which this particular project will help to reduce the electricity supply problems facing the upper half of the South Island.Recently a Meridian Energy employee publicly stated that Project Hurunui has a capacity factor of about 40 per cent. This equates to the energy requirements of only 12,000 homes.On that basis, Project Hurunui does not appear to justify all the expense and disruption involved in its construction.

How will Project Hurunui affect the local community?Ken Smales: Our experience is that communities benefit from wind farm developments. About $59 million will be spent on building the infrastructure that is required to support a project of this scale. The introduction of the wind farm roading network will require major changes to existing fences and stock control systems. Meridian has a policy of sourcing this work within the region. There are also the services that will be required during and after the construction, such as road maintenance, courier and transport requirements, ongoing maintenance and servicing requirements. These activities all benefit the local economy.Project Hurunui will create permanent jobs that will be filled by locals. In addition owners of the land on which turbines are to be sited can earn extra income which provides them with opportunities for reinvestment in and growth of their businesses, which has further benefits for the local community.

John Carr: Meridian Energy spent 24 months secretly developing their plans for this wind farm before announcing the details of this project in early March. The local community has been given only three months to “make a rational assessment of the benefits and impacts” of a project that has the potential to overwhelm the community and change the lives of residents forever.

continued over page

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A study of Project Hurunui’s infrastructure proposals shows that the increase in heavy-vehicle traffic during construction along Motunau Beach Road, a quiet secondary road ending at the holiday resort of Motunau Beach, is likely to seriously affect the Greta Valley School at the junction with State Highway 1. The school will be exposed to a huge increase in traffic noise and parents and children will face unacceptable levels of danger as they arrive at or leave the school.This relatively narrow road, with its hill and sharp Z bend, will become a serious accident black spot.Three kilometres along the road a large industrial site is to be created at Centre Hill. Eventually, this site will be turned into a massive industrial complex with 22 kilometres of sealed highways, 33 turbines, a substantial electricity substation, and overhead power lines stretching 15 kilometres from Greta Valley to Omihi. If the wind farm does not proceed there will, of course, be a loss of income for a few local contractors over the construction period. However, to infer that large sums of money will flow into the district is misleading. Altogether, the affected communities have one hotel, no general store, no garage, one campsite and two curio shops.With regard to the creation of full-time jobs on project completion, I know of several part-time jobs in the local community that will be immediately lost

as a result of the wind farm being set up. I have written proof from a large number of local residents that they do not support this wind farm; in fact they are outraged by Meridian’s proposal. A few landowners appear to be the only locals who are supporting Project Hurunui.More that 90 per cent of the local people who have responded to my survey on this issue are opposed to this wind farm. They are concerned about its negative effects on their quality of life and the visual impact of the turbines and overhead power lines on their environment. As I stated earlier, I am not against wind generation. However, I am against the establishment of wind farms in well-populated rural areas. There are surely a number of sites in more remote areas of the South Island that would be more suitable for this development. Perhaps Meridian should consider the government-owned Molesworth Station which has the national grid running through it, a lot of wind and no residents.Wind farms need to be built in a place where resident’s properties are not devalued and their health and well-being is not damaged by turbine noise. Where communities are not torn apart. Where families who have chosen to live and bring up their children in the beauty and tranquillity of the countryside may continue to do so in peace.

Ken Smales is the General Manager of Renewable Development at Meridian Energy.John Carr lives at Tipapa, Greta Valley, North Canterbury.

“The Press” July 6, 2010

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