July 19, 2011
Australia

Mayor urges uniform wind farm laws

ABC News, www.abc.net.au 19 July 2011

The Mayor of the Grant District Council, Richard Sage, says the Federal Government should have nationwide legislation about the location and proximity of wind farms.

Mr Sage was confronted by about 50 local residents, both for and against a wind farm development at Allendale in the south-east, at a community meeting on the weekend.

The Environment, Resources and Development Court recently upheld an appeal from concerned landowners to stop the development, based on its visual impact.

Mr Sage says inconsistent state legislation puts areas like theirs in a difficult position.

“We’re right on the Victorian border, across in Victoria, it’s now legislated that you’ve got to be at least two kilometres from a residential house whereas in South Australia, it’s 650 metres,” he said.

“At the end of the day, let’s get real about where we want them so that everybody knows and there’s a level playing field.”

Councillor Sage says Government intervention may be necessary on court decisions that are so controversial.

“We haven’t got the information that was handed down during the court case,” he said.

“There was 10 days of court hearings and at the end of the day the court made a ruling that they didn’t like to see wind farms on agricultural land was nothing to do whatsoever with the health aspects that were raised or other issues.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/07/19/mayor-urges-uniform-wind-farm-laws/