September 19, 2011
Australia

Council wants power plant compensation

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

A council in central western New South Wales says it will lobby the State Government for compensation for communities that generate electricity.

The Upper Lachlan Shire Council says a new proposal for a gas fired power plant in the region highlights the need for compensation for residents.

Snowy Hydro has had preliminary discussions about the proposal with the state’s Department of Planning.

Mayor John Shaw says if all the energy projects planned for the region are approved there will be 11 wind farms and four gas plants.

He says the Government needs to look after regions that support the state’s energy needs.

“There’s no financial benefit in it for the council or the region at the moment,” Councillor Shaw said.

“We can’t rate any of these power stations or wind farms. We got no development application fees, we get no section 94 contributions.

“So that’s what we’ll be fighting and we believe that we should be able to rate these industries or in lieu of rates get some sort of compensation.”

Councillor says the region is quickly becoming the renewable energy capital of the state.

He says while the community accepts the need for renewable energy, it currently receives no financial benefits from the projects.

“I think the state needs to be able to pay for the fact that we have them in our area,” he said.

“Obviously they’re not going to be put on North Head or South Head and anywhere that 4.5 or 5 million city folk can see it.

“So we’re the ones who have them on our doorstep and our people, who have to put up with them all the time, need some sort of compensation.”