Quartz Hill Reserve Charitable Trust
Box 5276, Wellington

Media Release

A Regional Coastal Park For Wellington's Citizens

With the inevitable increase in petrol prices and the need to minimise travel - both personally and in the national interest - there is also an equally strong requirement for significant open recreational space as close as possible to Wellington city.

The Makara area has been identified since the 1970's as such an area.

The Environment Court, in its recent West Wind determination, has confirmed that Quartz Hill, the West Wellington coast, and its surrounding landscape - is such a space.

Here are significant facts about the Environment Court's recent decision, and what might be done as a result:

The Environment Court found that the coastal environment at Makara/Terawhiti (which included Quartz Hill and the farmed hinterland):

• Is nationally important,
• Is an outstanding natural landscape;
• Is Wellington's best natural coast;
• Is a scarce resource district wide; and
• Meridian's development (if it goes ahead) will have a significant adverse effect on it.

The Court also concluded that the treatment of Quartz Hill by building numbers of 111.2 metre high turbines, roads, cuts and fills on it, was 'repugnant'.

The Environment Court also found that significant adverse effects would result for both the Makara community and visitors to the area, with the noise of the turbines and their visual dominance on the landscape and the coast, should the project go ahead.

Further there are no noise conditions to protect public places such as the regionally significant Makara Walkway and coastal areas if the turbines should be built. This Trust's internationally acclaimed noise expert gave evidence that the noise from the wind turbines at the gun emplacements would exceed World Heath Organisation recommendations.

There is no direct power supply benefit to Wellington from West Wind; all power goes into the grid for distribution throughout the country. It would not be a local power supply for Wellington.

Those who supported the project may want to reconsider what they were supporting.

We urge Wellingtonians to:

• Support the creation of a regional park on this unique and nationally important landscape.

• Lobby for protection of this outstanding and easily accessible coastal landscape for our citizens and their visitors to enjoy now and into the future for the generations to come.

No money needs to be spent to create anything. Quartz Hill is government owned property and is sitting there waiting to be fully appreciated.

Wind turbines will not enhance the area; experience overseas, the New Zealand Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment and the Environment Court all support this finding.

Meridian in its evidence to the Environment Court said the project was "indivisible". On this basis, with a number of turbines removed and the rest reduced to 111.2 metres from 125 metres height, together resulting in lower potential power output, the project should not go ahead.

SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A NATURAL COASTAL REGIONAL PARK FOR WELLINGTON

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