Wind and wedgies
The Age, www.theage.com.au 16 December 2010
Andrew Darby correctly pointed out the problem of wind turbines and wedge-tail eagles in Tasmania (”Where climate and conservation collide”, theage.com.au, 14/12).
Here in Victoria, Justin Madden approved the Yaloak South wind farm hours before the Brumby government went into caretaker mode.
The same consultants worked on Woolnorth and Yaloak and found that Yaloak was predicted to kill twice as many wedge-tails as Woolnorth. Yaloak will have only 14 turbines, compared to 62 at Woolnorth.
Despite a Madden-appointed committee stating that wind turbines should not be built near wedge-tail habitat and having previously rejected this wind farm in 2005 because of its impact on wedge-tails, he approved it anyway.
History tells us that blatant attempts to win some green votes didn’t work. It’s a shame the cost will be paid by wedge-tail eagles.
Kevin Ramholdt, Glenmore
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/12/16/wind-and-wedgies/