After the original application was declined in 2019, Westpower worked towards improving the proposal in hope of a reconsideration. A formal request for reconsideration was sent to (then) Minister of Conservation Poto Williams in May 2022. No response was received.
Westpower’s request for reconsideration was based on the following grounds:
- Section 4 of the Conservation Act, the Treaty principles, and the views and aspirations of Poutini Ngāi Tahu (a partner in the project).
- The climate change emergency and the need for these types of renewable energy generation projects to be authorised including on public conservation land (noting the significant impacts of climate change on biodiversity and conservation land and resources).
- The need for a real-world and contextual assessment of the effects of the project on values such as natural character and tramping, including an assessment of recent refinements that significantly reduce the visibility of the project structures.
- The assessment of legal and planning matters.