January 26, 2011
Australia

Final kibosh on wind farm

JULIA BECKETT, The Times, www.victorharbortimes.com.au 26 January 2011

MYPONGA – The plan to build a wind farm at Sellicks Hill was declared officially dead last week, with the state government revoking its major project status.

Minister for Urban Development and Planning Paul Holloway said TrustPower has declined to proceed with the wind farm as approved in November 2003, despite a deadline of September 2010 to begin substantial construction work.

“The TrustPower project comprising 20 x 100-metre high wind turbines was initially approved more than seven years ago,” he said.

“Since then the government has declined a request by TrustPower to significantly vary the approval to increase the height and power output of the turbines and reduce their number.”

Nearby residents and the District Council of Yankalilla lodged strong objections to the proposed changes at the time.

“In 2009, the company was given a 12-month deadline to begin construction or risk having the declaration revoked,” Mr Holloway said.

“After more than seven years of delays it is no longer appropriate to grant further extensions to this development approval and so the Governor has revoked this major project declaration.”

Yankalilla CEO Roger Sweetman said council was not surprised at the state government’s withdrawal of approval.

“Unlike the Star Fish Hill project there did not appear to ever be a strong indication from the applicant that the project was going to be commenced in a short time frame.”

Any future proposal for a wind farm at the site would have to begin the development approval process from scratch.

“Any proposal would be a new development application and at that time a decision would be made by the government as to whom the approving authority would be,” Mr Sweetman said.

The state government has set a goal of deriving 33 per cent of the state’s power generation from renewable energy by 2020.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/01/26/final-kibosh-on-wind-farm/