Environment
NZ Windfarms Limited is dedicated to minimising the impact of its operations on the environment. Our business, our people, our customers and our communities rely on New Zealand’s natural resources, and it’s crucial we look after them.
Environmental sustainability ensures our natural and shared resources are available to future generations. We want to have a positive impact, not only on the environments in which we work, but also on the communities we share those environments with.
Climate Change
Momentum to limit the extent and impacts of climate change continues to grow globally. This includes the projected physical impacts of climate change and the transitional risks such as regulatory change and shifting consumer behaviour.
Resilience and agility is key as we strive to limit the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions by harnessing the power of wind to support Government targets to decarbonise the electricity sector. We are well placed to support the transition to a low emissions economy and will closely monitor climate change policy developments.
The proposed climate-related financial disclosures for listed companies adds further impetus, and means NZ Windfarms will identify, assess, take action, and disclose material climate-related financial risks to our stakeholders and investors in the future.
Reducing Carbon Emissions
Renewable energy output will support the decarbonisation of the energy sector. This will benefit our communities, and also create opportunity to grow demand for renewable energy which as a generator we are positioning ourselves to meet.
We will prioritise adapting our generation assets to mitigate climate change impacts and build resilience.
NZ Windfarms is reviewing its operations, processes and supply chain to identify areas where we can measure and reduce carbon emissions. NZ Windfarms’ current carbon impact is primarily diesel for vehicles and through indirect sources (such as transportation of stock and components).
Environmental Compliance
The Company’s Te Rere Hau wind farm operates within the constraints of three resource consents outlining the operation, maintenance, and decommissioning activities. These consents contain multiple conditions that protect the natural environment.
These are actively managed for compliance and in the past year, there were no environmental incidents. The Company has continued to implement environmental management plans for all our activities. We are guided by best practice and a continuous improvement philosophy to enhance environmental outcomes.
We have continued to implement environmental management plans for all our activities in physical environments, in keeping with our continuous improvement philosophy and guided by incident investigation recommendations on risk reduction and environmental improvement opportunities. This ensures robust works planning through early engagement across our operations team.
Social
Community Well-being
We are privileged to live, work and grow our families in our community. Our philosophy is to ‘be the neighbour you’d want to have’. We live, work and operate in communities, and we know our actions impact on the people and environment around us. To us, this means respecting the rights of others, ensuring the safe and best practice operation of our site, and making a positive contribution to the communities we call home.
We work hard to understand the needs and aspirations of our local communities, and to ensure they understand how our business works - and how we tick as people too. We engage with stakeholders in our local communities year-round and we encourage all feedback. This includes a formal complaint process embedded in our operational reporting
system. We proactively engage with near neighbours, local authorities and local iwi to maintain continued support for ongoing operations and potential repowering opportunities in the future.
We are committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to form partnerships for mutual benefit to assist in creating a sustainable future for New Zealand. This is fundamental to the long-term success of our business.
Social Responsibility
Our commercial operations have wide reaching benefits to the Manawatu and Tararua economies. Staff members, contractors and service providers are members of these communities.
NZ Windfarms has a role to play as an investor in community well-being.
We support local organisations and charities whose members and beneficiaries can demonstrate strong links or affiliations to the areas that the Te Rere Hau wind farm operates in.
Our trade trained staff volunteer their time to assist community organisations to install heat pumps, rewire club-rooms and install hot water cylinders.
Please call the site office if you think your volunteer or community organisation might be a suitable candidate for assistance.
Register a Noise Complaint
Local residents can register a noise complaint here or by any of the contact details below. Please contact the Company in the first instance.
Residents should provide a description of the noise event (roaring or mechanical), date, time, address and contact details.
NZ Windfarms Ltd:
Tel: 06 280 2773 Ext 0 Email: operationalenquiries@nzwindfarms.co.nz
Palmerston North City Council:
Tel: 06 356 8119 Email: info@pncc.govt.nz
Tararua District Council:
Tel: 06 376 0110 Email: info@tararuadc.govt.nz
Complaint Management Plan
Noise Monitoring Report
Community Liaison Group
The next annual community liaison group meeting will occur in May 2023.
The last community liaison group meeting was held on 26 May 2022 at Aokautere School, 169 Fitzherbert East Road, Aokautere 4471
