Largely depleted lizard populations on the "extensively damaged" Lammermoor Range will not be affected by the construction of Meridian Energy's 176-turbine wind farm, ecologist and lizard specialist Tony Jewell told an Environment Court appeal hearing against the development yesterday.
Mr Jewell, of Ranfurly, said he had visited the 92sq km site proposed for Meridian's $2 billion Project Hayes development, and found "surprisingly few" skinks and geckos in the area.
He put a lack of lizards down to a poor quality habitat, the vegetation of which had been "degraded" to various degrees.
"The vegetation was quite heavily modified. I'm aware that some parts beyond where I looked were of a better quality, but I even visited a rocky outcrop and there was no sign of geckos which was really unusual.
"Historically there would have been tall tussock and extensive shrublands, whereas the areas I saw were in various degrees of pasteurisation," he said.
Mr Jewell said Project Hayes would have little or no impact on lizard species living in the area, even if constructed roads took up 20% of the development site.
"About 2.3% of the land occupied by lizards will be affected, leaving about 97% of the land area unaffected. Lizards also happily occupy roadsides that have large trucks going up and down them, they are not concerned about regular noise," he said.
In his written evidence, Mr Jewell said lizard abundance within the Project Hayes envelope was already low, and some species no longer survived in certain areas.
"The developed nature of the tussock grasslands greatly limits the potential of it as skink habitat. Lizard fauna of the Project Hayes envelope is highly depleted in both diversity and abundance, and contains no identifiably unique or irreplaceable elements.
The small number of people who visit Central Otago's Te Papanui Conservation Park will not likely be deterred by the presence of 176 turbines on land nearby, the appeal hearing was told yesterday.
Rocklands Station co-trustee Bill Harrington, of Christchurch, gave evidence for Meridian as the seventh witness in a resumed hearing, about his observations of land use in the Lammermoor Range area.
Mr Harrington, who is the director of a company which farms part of the proposed 92sq km Project Hayes site, as well as a co-owner of the property, said most people visiting the neighbouring Te Papanui area were Department of Conservation staff.
Te Papanui, which borders parts of the proposed wind farm site, was never going to become a tourist attraction in its own right, he said.
"It's got to be understood that Te Papanui is essentially a conservation park for water retention for the Dunedin City Council, and for that reason I can't see many people going in there apart from scientists and Doc staff," he said.
People living on his property kept regular count of visitors to the park, almost half of which were Doc staff, he said.
"We are talking about six or seven people a week, three or four of which would be Doc employees.
The rest go through the area for hunting, not to look around."He also said as toilets and other amenity facilities were not able to be constructed on Te Papanui, its use was not likely to increase.
"Whether the wind farm is going to have an adverse effect on the view from Te Papanui is irrelevant," he said.
Representing appellant party Central Otago Recreational Users Forum, Jan Kelly, of Wanaka, said although a small number of people visited the site, their quality of experience would be hampered by views of a wind farm.
"It's about quality, not quantity. People walk and bike up there to look at the views."
Day 21
Panel: Environment Court judge Jon Jackson, commissioner Alex Sutherland, commissioner Heather McConachy, and deputy commissioner Ken Fletcher.
Project: In October 2007 Meridian Energy was granted resource consent, by the Central Otago District Council and Otago Regional Council, to construct, use, and maintain a 176-turbine wind farm on the Lammermoor Range in Central Otago.
Players: Appellants: Upland Landscape Protection Society, John, Sue, and Andrew Douglas, the Maniototo Environmental Society, Eric and Cate Laurenson and the Eric and Cate Laurenson Family Trust, Ian and Sarah Manson and the Riverview Settlement Trust, Gaelle dit-Piquard, Ewan Carr, and Roch Sullivan.
Other parties: Central Otago District Council and Meridian Energy. The NZ Historic Places Trust, Contact Energy, and Brian Miller withdrew appeals. Ewan Carr withdrew Brookside Properties and Danseys Pass Coach Inn from his own appeal.
Yesterday: Professor of Electrical Energy Systems at Imperial College London, and director of the UK Government Centre for Sustainable Electricity and Distributed Generation, Prof Goran Strbac, of London; Truescape Ltd computer simulation specialist Tony Coggan, of Christchurch; ecologist and lizard specialist Tony Jewell, of Ranfurly; Rocklands Station co-trustee Bill Harrington, of Christchurch; landscape architect Peter Rough, of Christchurch.
Today: Landscape architect Peter Rough (cross-examination); Meridian witnesses John Elliot and Richard Seaton.
Quote of the day: "The effect of Project Hayes on the lizard fauna will be negligible or less than minor. The wind farm development will not compromise the viability or conservation status of any lizard species at any level, be it locally, regionally, or nationally."
- ecologist and lizard specialist Tony Jewell, of Ranfurly.
