Mill Creek wind farm is located northwest of Wellington near Ohariu Valley.

The 26 turbines generate up to 59.8 megawatts of electricity, producing enough electricity each year for about 34,000 average New Zealand homes.

The Mill Creek wind farm is located on privately-owned farms in Ohariu Valley. The landowners chose wind farming because it will preserve the environment, lifestyle and rural character of the areas better than other development options such as a major housing subdivision or forestry. They selected Meridian to develop and operate the wind farm because of our experience with developing wind energy in New Zealand.

Mill Creek is largely hidden from Wellington’s urban area, but visible from high points in the city’s green belt.

Why build a wind farm here?

The Mill Creek wind farm has all the features we look for in a wind farm, mainly its consistently strong wind. The wind conditions at Mill Creek mean the turbines are expected to generate electricity 90% of the time.

The construction of the 26 turbines on the hills required approximately 800,000 cubic metres of earthworks and the construction of 19 kilometres of access tracks within the site.

Consent documents

In applying for resource consent for Mill Creek, Meridian assessed the environmental and cultural impacts of a wind farm in Ohariu Valley. The Environment Court ruled that with certain mitigations to reduce some effects, the project would be acceptable.

The Mill Creek Resource Consent contains many conditions to ensure the wind farm’s effects are kept to an acceptable level. You can find more information about this in the documents below:

Environment court decision on resource consent - August 2011 (PDF)

Final decision on consent conditions - February 2012 (PDF)

WCC response - works in core wind farm site (PDF)

Community Liaison Group

Meridian’s resource consent requirements included establishing a Community Liaison Group (CLG). Led by an independent chairperson, the CLG provided a forum for exchanging information and addressing community concerns during the construction of the Mill Creek wind farm. This group no longer meets, as the construction is complete. If you would like more information about the construction or operation of Mill Creek wind farm, call 0800 500 305 or email community@meridianenergy.co.nz.

Key dates

• Mar 2008 Meridian applies for resource consent
• Aug 2011 Resource consent approved by the Environment Court
• Sept 2012 Construction begins
• Nov 2014 Mill Creek fully operational