Mt Cass Wind Farm

Northern Canterbury's first wind farm, coming soon to power 40,000 homes with clean energy.

Mt Cass Wind Farm will be the first wind farm in the Canterbury region, located near to New Zealand's second largest city, Christchurch.

Currently under construction, the wind farm is scheduled to be completed in 2028.

The wind farm is owned and will be operated by Yinson Renewables.

About the project

The Mt Cass Wind Farm will be an asset to the North Canterbury region, providing economic, environmental and community benefits.

Key Facts:

Location: Situated on the Mt Cass range near Waipara, North Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand.
Capacity & Output: The 22-turbine, 94.6 MW wind farm will generate over 300 GWh of electricity annually.
Environmental Impact: It is expected to offset approximately 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year, directly supporting New Zealand's decarbonization goals.
Conservation: The project includes a $6 million investment to enhance over 127 hectares of native forest and shrubland, including pest control to protect biodiversity.
Local Economic Benefits: Construction and operation will bring jobs to the region and significant local investment.
Resilience: The project will provide increased resilience to the upper South Island electricity supply infrastructure.

Community Liaison Group

Made up of volunteers, the group helps facilitate the flow of information between the Mt Cass Wind Farm project and the community.

The group meets at regular intervals during the design and construction phases, and at least annually during operations. Their functions are to:

Provide input and feedback on management plans,
Discuss results of monitoring and reports,
Act as a forum for relaying and reviewing questions about the construction and operation of the wind farm.

Community Liaison Group Members

Ben Kepes

Ben Kepes is a professional director and Waipara resident. He is the Deputy Chief Fire Officer of the Waipara Volunteer Fire Brigade and was a founding trustee of the Kate Valley Landfill Community Trust.

Paul Williams

Paul has been a long-term resident and property owner in Waipara for the last 38 years. Paul brings some great community involvement experience to the group, having been a member of the Waipara District Residents Association since 1986. He was also on the Kate Valley Community Trust committee for eight years, a member of the Glenmark Lions, and recently appointed coordinator for the local Waipara Civil Defence group.

Michael Ward

Michael has held the position of chairperson of the South Ward Committee for over nine years and is a second term councillor. He is a resident of Amberley and has a strong background in management.