June 18, 2012
Australia

Wind farm on exhibition

FARREN HOTHAM, Wellington Times, www.wellingtontimes.com.au 18 June 2012

The Department of Planning and Infrastructure is giving the community 60 days – double

the usual exhibition period – to comment on a proposed wind farm near Wellington in

central NSW.

Infigen Energy is proposing to build up to 33 wind turbines outside the township of

Bodangora, some 20 kilometres north-east of Wellington.

The Wellington Council gave its support to the project at a meeting last year with a couple of objections and its understood if more than 25 objections are made to the wind farm project further meetings may take place and council may have the last right to give the proposal the go ahead.

The State Member for Orange Andrew Gee said he was yet to see the documents and would make comment once he had an opportunity to see the proposal.

The Department of Planning and Infrastructure said If approved, the proposed wind farm would be capable of generating up to 120 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

Over a full year, electricity production is expected at 333 GWh – enough energy to power

35,000 homes annually (based on an average NSW household electricity consumption).

Infigen’s proposal also includes associated infrastructure such as access tracks, local road upgrades, electrical connections between the turbines and a new substation, as well as temporary and permanent meteorological masts and a maintenance facility.

The new substation would connect the existing 132 kV transmission line between the

Wellington substation and Beryl, some 80 kilometres to the east.

The proponent was required to take account of the draft NSW wind farm guidelines in its

environmental assessment.

The proposal is on extended exhibition for 60 days from Friday 8 June until Monday 6

August 2012.

To comment on the proposal, members of the public are invited to inspect the project’s

environmental assessment:

* online at http://majorprojects.planning.nsw .gov.au

* during regular business hours at the department’s Information Centre, 23-33 Bridge

Street, Sydney * at the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, Level 2, 5 Wilson Street, Newtown;

* at Wellington Council, corner of Nanima Crescent and Warne Street,

Wellington; and * at Wellington Library, corner of Percy and Maughan Streets, Wellington.

Submissions can be:

* faxed to (02) 9228 6455;

* posted to Major Projects Assessment, Department of Planning & Infrastructure,

GPO Box 39, SYDNEY NSW 2001, or

* emailed to plan_comment@planning.nsw.gov.au or via the entry for the project on

the department’s website http://majorprojects.planning.nsw .gov.au

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/06/18/wind-farm-on-exhibition/