August 16, 2007
Australia

'Climate change' threatens wind farms

The peak wind energy industry body says Australia’s climate change policies are threatening the viability of wind farms.

Energy company AGL has abandoned plans for a 48-turbine wind farm in the South Gippsland community of Dollar.

Auswind’s Chief Executive Dominique La Fontaine says many projects are under threat from Australia’s narrow approach to carbon trading.

“There’s research and development assistance, that has to be implemented,” she said.

“There has to be deployment measures like increasing mandatory renewable energy targets or putting in place a clean energy target and then there has to be energy efficiency measures, they’re very important as well,” she said.

However Ms La Fontaine says areas of Victoria will still be considered for new developments.

“Victoria has got excellent wind resources and the developers will be looking for places where they can maximise the benefit out of a wind farm development,” she said.

The federal Member for McMillan, Russell Broadbent, welcomed the decision to scrap the wind farm.

The Federal Government also tried to block a wind farm project at Bald Hills, because of concerns over a rare parrot.

Mr Broadbent says he does not oppose wind farms but they should not be built in South Gippsland.

“We should not ever put wind farms in places where communities have had a say about not wanting them in that pristine location in Victoria,” he said.

“Renewable energy’s fine but it has to be put in places that do not damage the area for ever.”

ABC News

16 August 2007


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/08/16/climate-change-threatens-wind-farms/