Meridian Energy Limited

The following applications for a resource consent have been received by the Northland Regional Council and are publicly notified pursuant to section 95A of the Resource Management Act 1991.

Application details

Applicant

Meridian Energy Limited

Address for service

Reyburn and Bryant
Brett Hood
[email protected]
PO Box 191, Whangarei 0140

Application number

APP.045356.01.01

Location

State Highway 15, McCathie Road, Marsden Point Road and Rama Road, Ruakākā

Activity description

The application seeks resource consents for earthworks, and associated stormwater diversion and discharges, and vegetation clearance for the construction of a solar farm across three sites at Ruakākā. The location of the three sites is shown below.

Aerial site map of the activity.

The following consents are required:

(01) Earthworks over approximately 190 hectares within the three sites to be undertaken in stages, including:

  • Within, and within a ten metre setback from, natural wetlands;
  • Within, and within a ten metre setback from, natural inland wetlands;
  • Within a flood hazard area;
  • Within a high risk flood hazard area
  • Within a ten metre setback from the bed of a river.

(02) Vegetation clearance:

  • Within, and within a ten metre set back from, natural wetlands;
  • Within, and within a ten metre set back from, natural inland wetlands;
  • Within ten metres of the bed of a river.

(03) Divert stormwater during earthworks.

(04) Discharge of stormwater to land during earthworks.

The application includes an assessment of environmental effects. The application may be viewed under Application Documents below and at the Whangarei District Council Ruakākā Service Centre, 9 Takutai Place, Ruakākā.

Make a submission

Any person may make a written or electronic submission on this application. The submission must be in the prescribed form (Form 13). An electronic copy of this form is available below and on request.

Please note that if a hearing is required, the applicant has requested that independent commissioners are appointed to the hearing panel. This means that you are not required to complete section 8 of the Northland Regional Council’s submission form regarding “Hearing by Commissioners who are not members of the council”.

If you wish to make a submission on the above application, you must do so by serving it on the Northland Regional Council on or before Tuesday 23 April 2024. There are two ways in which you may serve your submission (Note: the date that you complete either of these actions is the date that you are deemed to have ‘served’ your submission and this must be done on or before Tuesday 23 April 2024):

  1. You may post your submission to Private Bag 9021, Whangārei Mail Centre, Whangārei 0148; or
  2. You may e-mail your submission to [email protected]

You must serve a copy of your submission on the applicant (at either the applicant’s address for service or email address stated above) as soon as reasonably practicable after serving your submission on the Northland Regional Council.

If you require further explanation of this application or further information before deciding whether to make a submission, please do not hesitate to contact Alister Hartstone, Consultant planner, at [email protected]

Application Documents

NB: The following documents have not been included as they relate to the WDC matters which are not subject to this notification: Appendix 5 – Traffic Assessment; Appendix 15 – Glint and Glare Assessment; Appendix 17 – Noise and Vibration; Appendix 19 – Acid Sulphate Soils; Appendix 22 – Potentially Contaminated Land and s92 Third response.

Some of these documents are a large file size. If you would like to request smaller or individual files, contact: [email protected]

Application Document (PDF 4.49 MB)
Appendix 1 - Landscape Planting Plan (Littoralis Landscape Architecture) (PDF 3.38 MB)
Appendix 2 - Certificates of Title (PDF 12.13 MB)
Appendix 3 - Alternatives and Optimisation Report (Beca) (PDF 3.68 MB)
Appendix 4 - Civil Drawings (Beca) (PDF 21.41 MB)
Appendix 6 - Consult Drawings (Beca) (PDF 3.7 MB)
Appendix 7 - Flood Modelling Report (Beca) (PDF 6.4 MB)
Appendix 8 - Civil Design Report (Beca) (PDF 1.58 MB)
Appendix 9 - Erosion and Sediment Control Plan (Beca) (PDF 23.36 MB)
Appendix 10 - Proposed Conditions of Consent (PDF 362 KB)
Appendix 11 - CEA (Patuharakeke Te Iwi) (PDF 1.68 MB)
Appendix 12 - CEA (Te Parawhau) (PDF 503 KB)
Appendix 13 - Ecological Effects Assessment (Boffa Miskell) (PDF 17.94 MB)
Appendix 14 - Landscape and Visual Effects Assessment (Littolalis Landscape) (PDF 15.09 MB)
Appendix 16 - Letters of support (infrastructure providers) (PDF 1.77 MB)
Appendix 18 - Archaeological Assessment (Geometria) (PDF 14.94 MB)
Appendix 20 - Geotechnical assessment (Beca) (PDF 2.22 MB)
Appendix 21 - Planning Maps (WDC) (PDF 1.93 MB)

s92 Requests and Responses

Section 92 - Request and ecological peer review (PDF 853 KB)
Section 92 - Initial Response - 09.10.2023 (PDF 1.22 MB)
Section 92 - First Response 26.10.2023 (PDF 527 KB)
Section 92 - First Response Ruakaka_wetlands_offset_calculations (XLSX 108 KB)
Section 92 - Second response and flood report 31.10.2023 (PDF 699 KB)
Section 92 - Fourth response - Flooding stormwater RSI landscape - 15.11.2023 (PDF 3.6 MB)
Section 92 - Fifth response - Ecological matters consolidated - 17.11.2023 (PDF 2.06 MB)
Section 92 - Ecological peer review memo 11-12-23 (PDF 103 KB)
Section 92 - Sixth response (ecological memorandum) 21.12.2023 (PDF 848 KB)
Section 92 - Further response dated 11.03.2024 (PDF 12.03 MB)