Wanaka-based Wind Prospect CWP (NZ) Ltd was in town to talk about its hopes to build a 50-turbine, $390 million wind farm on farmland 15km east of the township.
It also confirmed to the Otago Daily Times it is investigating a small wind farm somewhere in Otago, but managing director Michael Vawser was coy about disclosing any more at present.
In the first hour of the open day at Wyndham's Memorial Hall, about 50 people turned up to view display boards, read about the proposal, give their views in an opinion survey and to ask questions.
The doors stayed open until 8pm and the open day is expected to be the first of several community updates the company will give as fresh reports and studies on the proposal come to hand.
Locals spoken to in the town either supported the wind farm or had no view either way.
One man said he would be able to see some of the turbines from his house but ‘‘when there is thick cloud around, you won't even see them.''
A woman said any economic benefit to the district was welcome and she was comfortable with the information she had read to date.
The company has been involved in developing wind farms around Europe and Australia and the Wyndham project was its first foray into New Zealand, but Mr Vawser said it would not be the last.
It was considering one other site in Otago which, if given approval, would be ‘‘much smaller'' than the Wyndham development, and there were also early investigations into a larger wind farm elsewhere in the lower South Island.
The hall meeting was the company's first real chance to strike up a conversation with those who might be directly affected by the wind farm, he said.
The proposed site was ideal and was not called ‘‘Blowhard'' by the locals for nothing.
Once more reports were finalised, these would be released through public newsletter and media releases, Mr Vawser said. All going well, the company hoped to lodge resource consent applications by the end of this year.
The Wyndham wind farm would be capable of supplying electricity to about 74,000 homes.
