Tuki wind farm project on hold
Wind Power met with the mayor Tim Hayes and chief executive officer Kaylene Conrick late last month in an “advocacy capacity and in response to community concern”.
A shire media release said Ross Richards told them that the proposed Tuki Wind Farm was temporarily on hold because of “the price of carbon, the emissions trading scheme details and the nature of the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target”.
Mr Richards said that if the proposal went ahead a planning application would be lodged in the first half of next year.
The meeting also brought up a difference of opinion over significant landscape overlays.
The media release said Wind Power stated at the meeting that draft legal advice had been provided to confirm that the SLO would not prevent the development of a wind farm, however Cr Hayes said he believed the SLO would be a factor in determining an application.
Cr Hayes said the council was well aware that some community members had concerns about wind turbines.
“Wind Power is committed to ongoing community consultation,” he said.
“I would encourage any community member with specific concerns to contact Wind Power directly.”
Meanwhile, the council will consider its recently developed draft Wind Energy Facility Guidelines after the election in November.
The council received more than 180 submissions regarding the draft guidelines.
“The guidelines recognise that even if Wind Power doesn’t go ahead with this application we, like many municipalities, will probably receive another application in the future,” Cr Hayes said.
“The guidelines are proactive and put council in the driving seat. Council is not for or against wind farms per se.”
By Donna Kelly
7 October 2008
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Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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