July 22, 2008
Australia

Ben Lomond wind farm for sale

The future of the proposed Ben Lomond Windfarm is unclear, with the developers putting the project up for sale.

Developer the Allco Finance Group has announced it is in the process of selling its wind assets. Media representative Bernard Voll said the environmental assessment has been completed but would be lodged by the purchaser.

“It is ready to be lodged with the Department of Planning but how it is done is a decision the purchaser will make. The sale is expected to be completed in the next week,” he told the Examiner last Wednesday.

The projected Ben Lomond development will span 9,990 hectares with a total of 98 wind turbine generators across 13 privately owned rural landholdings which lie within the Glen Innes Severn and Guyra Shire local government areas. According to the current plan, properties on which there will be turbines are ‘Emily Park’, Glencoe Station, ‘Silent Grove’, ‘Glen Lomond’, ‘Tarloon’, ‘Highfields’, ‘Banoole’, ‘Yolanda’, ‘Mt Emby’, ‘Smithston’, ‘Kanes’ and ‘Kenlossie’.

Meanwhile the Glen Innes Wind Farm development planned for the Waterloo Range, 12km west of Glen Innes, is still back in the hands of the developers to make what are hoped to be the final changes before the project is approved for public display.

A review by the NSW Department of Planning said further work was needed in certain areas.

The developers must now provide a more detailed report on such issues as strategic justification, visual impacts, noise impacts, flora and fauna, non-indigenous heritage, hazard/risks and traffic and transport before a final decision is made as to whether it is ready for public comment.

Consultants Connell Wagner is working towards having the Glen Innes assessment back to the Department of Planning for developers Babcock and Brown and NP Power. Connell Wagner environment consultant Jeff Bembrick said it is now close to completion.

“We have been through and addressed the various comments from the Department of Planning and are hopeful it will get back to them within a week,” he said.

“Once it is approved we can then make the plans for public submissions but when that happens will depend on when we hear back from the department.”

Jamie Fakes

Glen Innes Examiner

22 July 2008


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/07/22/ben-lomond-wind-farm-for-sale/