November 20, 2012
Australia

Wind farm rejected

ABC News | 20 November 2012 | www.abc.net.au

Plans for a wind farm on the New South Wales far south coast have been shelved.

The Sydney based company known as Epuron lodged an application with the Bega Valley Shire Council in 2011.

The proposal outlined a plan to build seven turbines at the South East Fibre Export site, south of Eden.

The Southern Joint Regional Planning Panel decided to vote down the idea this week at a meeting with the Bega Valley Shire and members of the Eden community.

The Panel’s Chairwoman, Pam Allan, said the decision to reject the plan was based on a number of factors.

“The panel has decided to reject the Eden wind farm because we believe that it results in an unacceptable visual impact on Twofold Bay and the broader environment,” she said.

“We don’t think that any economic or social benefits that would come from the development of the wind farm would outweigh those potential adverse impacts on the landscape or the wilderness values of the area.”

Ms Allan said the plan lacked social and economic benefits for the community.

“Essentially it comes down to the fact that while there would be limited benefit to the region, it would not justify the impact it would have on the overall landscape,” she said.

“This is a very important environmental, as well as heritage landscape.”

The Save Twofold Bay group is delighted by the decision.

The group’s spokesman, Neil Rankin, said it was a long time coming.

“We’re extremely happy, but also relieved that it’s over and that Eden can move on to better things,” he said.

“We can now work on new ideas and try and get Eden out of the slump for the moment.”

Mr Rankin said he didn’t think that the visual impact would be one of the major factors for the panel.

“We were concerned about them and we didn’t think that would be the main reason for the objection,” he said.

“We thought it would be other reasons, the National Parks, being one, Ben Boyd’s Tower, and the mouth of Kiah, and Davidson’s Whaling Station.”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/11/20/wind-farm-rejected-2/