September 6, 2007
Australia

Fed Govt plan for wind farms angers state govts

Opposing sides of the wind farm debate will thrash out a new national code outlining where development can take place.

The Federal Government’s plan has annoyed state governments, which say planning is their responsibility.

But farmers, community groups and developers say state laws have been ineffective in stopping disputes.

Victorian farmer David Clarke says if the code is balanced, all sides will have more certainty.

“If all agree that we want a code where everybody gets a fair hearing, then I think we can actually move forward together,” he said.

“If we very much want to protect our own patches then unfortunately this won’t work, but it never will in those kind of situations.”

5 September 2007