Photo: Supplied / Meridian Energy
A consent for a Southland wind farm has been declined due to the potential impact on the local flora and fauna.
Contact Energy had applied to build the Southland Wind Farm on land near Wyndham in Southland.
The Environmental Protection Authority has released the decision by an independent panel.
The panel said the project would have had significant economic and social benefits, but it was not satisfied that the adverse effects could be offset or compensated for.
It said some of the main concerns were about the impact on birds, bats and lizards in one of the three areas of the proposed wind farm, the Jedburgh Plateau.
The project site included three areas - Glencoe Station, Matatiki Forest and Jedburgh Plateau.
The panel said Glencoe Station and Matatiki Forest are both highly modified, but Jedburgh Plateau contains large areas of indigenous vegetation that is ecologically significant.
It said the area is interspersed with upland bog and fen wetlands, together forming a complex terrestrial and wetland ecosystem that is significant habitat for indigenous species, including threatened and at risk flora and fauna.
The Panel said it had concerns about the impact on significant indigenous vegetation, local birds, bats, lizards and invertebrates.
In its decision the panel said the project could have provided employment, and helped reduce New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions but the project was declined because of the environmental effects.
Contact Energy said it was extremely disappointed that the consent has been turned down.
Contact chief executive Mike Fuge said the Southland Wind Farm was an important project to support energy security of supply for all New Zealanders.
"The growth in demand for electricity, as New Zealand moves away from relying on fossil fuels, means that projects like this will be critical. Last year, we made a commitment to be net carbon zero in our generation by 2035, and the Southland Wind Farm has been carefully selected as another important step in achieving that."
He said that Contact's approach to offsetting and compensating for unavoidable adverse effects during construction and operation of the wind farm has been modelled to achieve at least a no-net-loss of biodiversity.
"This includes a long list of sustained long-term pest and predator controls covering deer, pigs, mustelids, feral cats, rats and even mice for the life of the windfarm."
Contact Energy said it would now take some time to fully understand the reasons behind the decision and assess what option to take next.
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