July 24, 2012
Australia

Councillor works to stop wind farm

Barossa & Light Herald | www.barossaherald.com.au 24 July 2012

A Mid Murray councillor instigated a special meeting held yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) in Cambrai to oppose the Keyneton wind farm application.

Councillor Mardi Jennings’ plans were to move four separate motions against the development, which was proposed by Victorian-based company Pacific Hydro.

The four separate motions are:

• That council revoke the power delegated to the Mid Murray Council development assessment panel to report to the Development Assessment Commission (DAC) specifically on the matter of the application for the Keyneton Wind Farm.

• The Mid Murray Council write to the state minister for Planning, John Rau MP, and state premier Jay Weatherill highlighting council’s concern with Section 49 of the development act, in that the legislation does not provide any mechanism for council to reverse a decision of the council’s development assessment panel to provide comments in support of an application to the DAC.

• Mid Murray Council oppose the Keyneton wind farm development on the grounds that there has not been sufficient scientific peer assessed research into the effects of wind farms with regards to noise.

• Mid Murray Council requests that the DAC, DPAC, EPA, Minister Rau and other related bodies, do not make a decision on the Pacific Hydro application until such a time as it (DAC) has commissioned, conducted, viewed and considered an independent noise study/review related to the Pacific Hydro application.

It is understood councillor Jennings met this month with Member for Schubert Ivan Venning, who was supportive of the special meeting.

Details of the meeting will be available via the Herald website barossaherald.com.au later this week.

Meanwhile, on June 25 Pacific Hydro’s complete submission, involving about 800 pages, was officially lodged with the DAC.

The $242million development involves placing 42 industrial wine turbines on the Sedan Ranges at Keyneton. This development is expected to produce 105MW and is estimated to generate electricity for the next 25 to 30 years.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/07/24/councillor-works-to-stop-wind-farm/