February 2, 2011
Australia

Minister calls in wind farm bid

ABC News, www.abc.net.au 2 February 2011

Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy has called-in an application for a three-turbine wind farm at Chepstowe, south-west of Ballarat.

The proponent, Future Energy, had taken the application to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) because it said the Pyrenees Shire had taken too long to make a decision.

A spokeswoman for the Minister says he wants to give certainty to the community.

Pyrenees Mayor Michael O’Connor says he hopes the process will give a sense of how the Government’s wind farm policy will operate.

“It will certainly give us the opportunity to work with the Minister’s appointed experts to get a good feel for what Government policy is likely to be in relation to wind farms. As a shire and a council we don’t really feel it’s been clarified for us now and this might be a very good starting point,” he said.

Substation

Meanwhile, the Moorabool council will determine its view tonight on an electrical substation proposed to service the Mount Mercer wind farm.

The council deferred a decision on the planning application last year because of concerns about the size of the substation and the impact on native vegetation.

It has now proceeded to the VCAT.

Mayor Pat Griffin says having a firm position on the application will help the council in VCAT.

“If it’s determined that we refuse just because we didn’t fulfil the permit requirements within a certain time period, it really doesn’t give our officers much to go on but if they get a firm determination that council has decided to refuse this permit, that gives them a firm position to take at VCAT as well,” he said.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/02/02/minister-calls-in-wind-farm-bid/