Tasmania utility looks at developing project on South Island

The high country of New Zealand's South Island could be the setting for a new wind project if plans by Tasmanian developer Roaring 40s go-ahead. The company is investigating the potential for a 60 MW wind farm in the Cairnmuir Mountains near Cromwell. It has been granted consent to monitor the local wind resource, with a 30-metre mast set up on private farmland. The wind farm, likely to consist of 20-30 turbines, has an estimated development cost of NZ$100-150 million. Roaring 40s is owned by Hydro Tasmania, the Tasmanian state power company. It has been working with companies Unison and Eastland Networks on projects in the North Island's Hawkes Bay region. Central Otago has recently become an area of interest for wind farm development, with as many as five projects proposed for the region.