But after today, residents in the area may have a better idea of what is being planned for Kurow Hill/Te Kohurau if a 19-turbine wind generation development on the site gets the green light.
Residents are being urged to attend two public drop-in information sessions in Kurow today by Aquila Clean Energy, which has already secured the co-operation of two landowners for its proposed development across 1800 ha of hill country.
Aquila last month confirmed early plans for a 130MW wind farm with 19 turbines of 200m — at maximum tip height — and a maximum rotor diameter of 178m.
The farm would be split across two properties on Kurow Hill.
The Waitaki District Council, the Ahuriri Community Board and some local residents were briefed last month by Aquila.
The company initially posted a flyer to some mail boxes and visited the area in mid-October and again last month.
A local resident, who the Otago Daily Times has agreed not to name, said yesterday they had been given a preview of what the company envisaged.
That included being shown superimposed landscape images of how the proposed wind turbines would sit in the area.
The resident said Aquila representatives had initially undertaken to share those projected wind-farm images in electronic form but had since been "gun shy" about that.
The resident said they were keeping an open mind, but they believed many in the area still did not fully realise the need to be informed.
The local resident said they were neutral at this point but what was proposed would clearly affect the area’s landscape.
"I’m kind of in the middle," the resident said.
"I am a believer in your land, do what you want. But sometimes you can’t do what you want."
Today’s drop-in sessions at the Kurow Hall, from 1-4pm and 5-8pm, would be a prime opportunity for residents to be informed.
"I think the images do need to be published so people can start engaging and informing themselves.
The resident said while Aquila had sought to engage them "it was very much a tick-box exercise".
"It was really just a formality I felt."
Aquila was approached for comment yesterday.
Last month in a statement it said it had just commenced environmental assessments on the proposed Kurow Hill wind-farm site.
Construction of the wind farm would take up to 18 months but it was not expected to start until three years after it gained resource consent.
Aquila last month said it was in "the early development and planning" for a resource consent application.
At this stage it is not on the list of the government’s approved fast-track projects.
