August 30, 2011
Australia

Law knocks wind out of Macedon turbine plan

Rosa Ellen, www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au 30 August 2011

Macedon’s plan for clean energy production has had the wind knocked out of it after the state government announced laws restricting wind farm sites.

Woodend Integrated Sustainable Energy (WISE) said the Department of Planning’s Amendment VC82, which will make it illegal to construct wind farms within two kilometres of an existing dwelling, threatened the Macedon Ranges Community Wind Farm, planned for construction on Crown land south of Woodend.

WISE president Peter Hansford said the location was under the two-kilometre limit and was the only viable site for the small three-turbine wind farm, which could generate enough power for 3600 households.

Minister for Planning Matthew Guy yesterday visited Macedon to announce the policy, which hands planning control of wind farms to local councils.

“We’ve put in place an outcome which will restore balance between homeowners and developers,” Mr Guy said.

Mr Hansford said the Macedon wind farm had been designed on the back of strong community support and was about to install a wind anemometer to produce further data for the wind farm.

“Finding another location is pretty well impossible. If there is a mandated two-kilometre setback, there’s no part which is two kilometres from the nearest house,” Mr Hansford said.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/08/30/law-knocks-wind-out-of-macedon-turbine-plan/