The North Island Grid Upgrade Project (NIGUP) involved consultation and technical studies to select and designate one of two routes from Whakamaru to Auckland (some 200 km) for a 400kV transmission line estimated to cost $835 million.  Dialogue was responsible for the consultation design, analysis and reporting, assistance with publications and providing evidence to the Board of Inquiry on both the consultation and the social impact assessment which Dialogue also undertook.

Five groups were defined for the purposes of the consultation:

1. (1)directly affected: parties whose properties would be physically affected by the construction and operation of the overhead and underground sections and substations;
   

2. (2)affected locality: properties which may experience some effects of the construction and operation of the proposed line, such as construction traffic and visual intrusion;
   

3. (3)interested parties: a wider community of people with some interest in the Upgrade Project;
   

4. (4)key stakeholders: institutions and special interest groups, with or without geographical links to the affected area, but who take an interest in the Upgrade Project because of some wider concerns or responsibilities (such as statutory bodies and environmental groups); and 
   

5. (5)tangata whenua: reflecting the express recognition of their interests in the RMA as well as being affected parties. 
   

6. 
   

The project crossed seven local authorities and two Regional Councils.  A small advocacy group with branches along the length of the proposed line was set up to oppose the project. Excellent relations were maintained by Peter Phillips throughout the project with a number of landowners who were active advocates for their communities which ensured on-going communications and an invaluable exchange of information.

The consultation started in October 2004 and was largely

completed by May 2007.  There were dedicated consultations on the overhead section, the underground section from Whitford to Otara, and the Revised Proposal after an initial decision by the Electricity Commission to decline the investment proposal on economic grounds.  A wide range of methods were used including open days, public meetings, drop-in centres, personal and small group meetings, a project website with email notification of updates, a range of publications, and oral and written submissions.

An important feature of the route phase was the release of an interim decision on the selection of the preferred route to provide affected and interested parties with a formal opportunity to critique the interim selection before the decision was made.  The initial pool of property owners/residents notified was over 9000, while the selected route crossed 297 properties in 186 kilometres.

The information gathered through the consultation was used in the following decisions:

1. deciding between the eastern and western routes for the overhead section from Whakamaru to South Auckland;
   

2. developing an indicative centre-line and preliminary tower locations for the overhead section;
   

3. finalising the centre-line and tower locations for the overhead section;
   

4. identifying a site for the transition station under the Original Proposal
   

5. assessing possible effects of the preferred cable route to Otahuhu;
   

6. deciding between two sub-options on the cable route to Otahuhu;
   

7. selecting the technology for the Pakuranga substation upgrade to 220kV under the Revised Proposal;
   

8. selecting the cable route from Pakuranga to Brownhill Road from three options and two sets of sub-options;
   

9. selecting the preferred technology for the Brownhill Road substation; and
   

10. selecting the preferred position on the site for the Brownhill Road transition station/substation.
    

A copy of Peter Phillips’ evidence to the Board of Inquiry can be downloaded from here.