March 7, 2008
Australia
Australia
Today it is twelve months since $100 company Wind Power Pty Ltd came to the Smeaton community and proposed the Tuki Wind Farm on for landholders property at Tuki on what is known as Stoney Rises. This was done with only one weeks warning for the majority of the community, when they proposed the Tuki scheme.
Director Steve Buckle and Andrew Newbold had planned this scheme for at least 18 months before nofity the surrounding landholders.
On the advent of the first meeting with the community Wind Power refused to outline how wind turbines reduce coal fire generation, reduce ghg’s and how turbines will benefit the greater community.
In a bid to buy off the community they promised $500 per turbine over 20 -25 years to go toward community groups. Hence nearly $10,000 annually was promised, to over 15 community groups in an effort to convince them to support a scheme that had no factual basis.
As the meeting progressed, with over 150 locals present, the presentation from wind Power’s Vaughan Hulme was so poor that he was unable unable to answer the simplest questions. Eventually the meeting was closed down when directors Steve Buckle and Andrew Newbold realised that the greater community was totally opposed to this ill fated scheme.
Over the next twelve months Wind Power has gone from bad to worst in terms of their creditabilty.
With over 96% of residents in a 5km radius around the Tuki site totally opposed to this scheme, the Hepburn shire planning scheme opposed to any developments on Slo’s (significant landscape overlayes) one covers nearly half the Tuki site, and the Hepburn Council opposed to any development on and slo, Wind Power look destine for another tough fight.
At Haddon, Clarkes Hill and Pipers Creek Wind Power Pty Ltd had only the majority of the community against their schemes, but at Tuki they also have the planning scheme that doesn’t not accommodation this proposal.
7 March 2008
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/03/07/twelve-months-since-wind-power-pty-ltd-came-to-smeaton/