| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Planning laws hurt Windlab
Credit: Peter Hunt, The Weekly Times, www.weeklytimesnow.com.au 10 November 2011 ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
The first wind farm developer to fall victim to restrictive new Victorian Government planning laws has closed its Melbourne office.
Global wind farm developer Windlab’s general manager, Nathan Steggel, said the government’s planning laws had gone too far and the company was moving staff to its Canberra head office.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy announced the new laws in August, prohibiting wind farm developers from building turbines within 2km of a home – unless they gained the owner’s written consent.
The industry responded by arguing the policy gave residents power of veto over developments, which along with other planning amendments spelled the end of the industry in Victoria.
The Government has argued the decision would not lead to the demise of wind farm developments in Victoria, given plenty of permits were approved by the previous Labor Government.
However, Mr Steggel said many of those permits would expire and have to be renewed, leaving the industry facing an uncertain future.
“The policy is definitely part of the puzzle and makes it difficult to develop projects in Victoria,” Mr Steggel said.
Windlab uses computer modelling to identify, design, lease and develop wind farm sites, a process that can take several years to complete.
The Government’s planning laws prohibit wind farms from being built:
In the Yarra Valley, Dandenong Ranges, Mornington Peninsula, Bellarine Peninsula, Macedon and McHarg ranges.
On land within 5km of Mildura, Swan Hill, Echuca, Shepparton, Benalla, Wangaratta, Wodonga, Horsham, Ararat, Ballarat, Greater Bendigo, Hamilton, Portland, Warrnambool, Colac, Geelong, Moe, Morwell, Traralgon, Sale and Bairnsdale.
On land within 5km of the high water mark along the west coast (Great Ocean Rd area) and in Gippsland along the Bass Coast, South Gippsland and west of Wilsons Promontory.
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.
| Wind Watch relies entirely on User Funding |
 (via Stripe) |
 (via Paypal) |
Share:
[ Short URL: https://wind-watch.org/news/?p=15303 ]
