March 21, 2011
Australia

Minister calls for talks on wind farm concerns

ABC News, www.abc.net.au 21 March 2011

Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy is calling for talks with wind energy providers threatening to pull out of Victoria.

Pacific Hydro has told the Financial Review it will not introduce any new projects to Victoria, under the new planning rules introduced by the Coalition Government.

The company has $250-million of projects underway across Victoria.

The rules hand planning control to local governments and include tougher requirements for wind farms placed within two kilometres of houses.

Mr Guy says the companies should talk to him about the ways they can manage the new controls.

“Some have threatened to pull out of Victoria. Most haven’t,” he said.

“The ones that are threatening to pull out of Victoria, I would encourage to come and see me direct, to have a conversation with the Government rather than communicating their intentions via a newspaper.”

Mr Guy says wind farms can still be built, even if the Government eventually establishes a two-kilometre buffer zone between turbines and houses.

“It’s always been our intention to establish that kind of buffer zone between a principal place of residents and wind turbines,” he said.

“We’ve made our intentions clear during the election.”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/03/21/minister-calls-for-talks-on-wind-farm-concerns/