Opposition slams Great Ocean Road turbine farm
The State Opposition has slammed the State Government for allowing a 15-turbine wind farm on the “doorstep” of the Twelve Apostles.
Opposition planning spokesman Matthew Guy said yesterday the Liberal Nationals Coalition would protect the state’s greatest natural assets from wind farms.
“The State Government’s emphatic promise to defend our iconic natural assets from wind facilities is in tatters with the revelation that Acciona Energy has been allowed to build a $50 million 15-turbine wind farm on the doorstep of the Twelve Apostles and the Great Ocean Road,” Mr Guy said.
“At the 2006 election, then energy minister Theo Theophanous declared that all sensitive areas, including the Great Ocean Road, would be protected from wind farm development — a promise that rings hollow today.”
Mr Guy said wind energy facilities had a place, but that place was not within sight of our state’s greatest tourist attractions.
He said Planning Minister Justin Madden must intervene and develop a firm policy for wind power plants that upheld Labor’s 2006 policies, in particular the promise that they are not to be built in sensitive environmental areas, or near important tourist locations.
But a spokeswoman for Mr Madden said the decision to allow the wind farm had been made by the state planning tribunal.
The spokeswoman said Corangamite council had originally knocked back the proposal, but was overruled by VCAT.
“The consideration of impacts of wind farms, particularly in the Great Ocean Road area, are stringent and are subject to very tight controls,” she said.
“Wind and other renewable energy resources will play a key role for Victoria as we change our energy mix — generating our power from a wider range of sources as we drive down greenhouse gas emissions.
“In this instance the Corangamite Shire Council was the responsible authority and I understand that VCAT has overturned the council.”
Peter Begg
28 August 2008
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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