March 24, 2014
Australia

Council ‘running out of time’ for wind farm plan declaration

By Kirsty Nancarrow | ABC News | 24 March 2014 | www.abc.net.au

Mareeba Shire Mayor Tom Gilmore says time is running out for the Queensland Government to take over responsibility for a $400 million wind farm project.

RATCH-Australia is due to provide a final report on its Mount Emerald project to the council by the end of April.

Councillor Gilmore says Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney is yet to respond to the council’s request to have it declared a project of state significance.

“We’re now running out of time,” he said.

“We could end up with this document on our desk at any time and I would prefer that it was sent off to the state for assessment and dealing because it’s just beyond our capacity to do, so there really is a sense of urgency now and I would like to hear the state’s position on it.

“Had the application been made after the first of July 2014 it would automatically have been in the province of the state’s responsibility in any case.

“We don’t have the access to the resources, either financial or technical, to resolve the issues that are arising from such a massive development.”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/03/24/council-running-out-of-time-for-wind-farm-plan-declaration/