October 25, 2019
Australia

Twin Creek wind farm outside Kapunda is approved

Michelle O’Rielly | Barossa & Light Herald | October 25 2019 | www.barossaherald.com.au

Approval for the Twin Creek wind farm development located 11km north-east of Kapunda has been granted.

The decision reached by the State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP) was officially announced (today) Friday.

The outcome falls two weeks after an approved wind farm at Keyneton was dropped due to state government not granting developers Pacific Hydro another extension for build work.

The Twin Creek approval ends a lengthy fight headed by a core group, including neighbouring landholders, after Victorian developers RES made their intentions known in early 2014.

Active in preventing the development, Hampden resident Mary Morris shared her disappointment over the decision.

“Representors were not notified of the hearing,” she pointed out.

It was only by chance Ms Morris stumbled across the Thursday, October 24, Twin Creek wind farm SCAP meeting while on their website last Saturday.

The discovery enabled her and a handful of others to attend, including two landowners located two kilometres from the project.

Ms Morris’ ongoing angst over the project centres on a long list of worries, which she understands from extensive research will now be damaging to the site.

Concerns include the threatening of wildlife and endangering of species which she believes the subjects were not adequately consulted on.

“(They) evaded the point that the Southern Hairy Nosed wombat is rated “regionally endangered” in the Northern and Yorke regions,” she said.

Problems over the increase in frosts, significance in heritage and noise guidelines she felt were either overlooked or the information presented was conflicting.

Meanwhile, the approved development, which falls in into three council zones – Light, Goyder and Mid Murray, will be subject to conditions.

The developer’s plans include constructing a wind farm and energy storage facility, comprising 51 wind turbine generators which RES say will boost the state’s clean energy capacity by more than 613,000 MWh each year – enough electricity to power 118,000 homes.

In a press release to Barossa Herald, RES said the wind farm will bring economic and employment boost to the community.

Project manager Dan Leahy shared how the company is proud to have taken every possible action to mitigate the impact of the development on the local area.

“Our aim is for Twin Creek to support the area’s biodiversity as well as its people, and the project will bring 160 construction jobs, 130 supply chain jobs, and long-term employment for eight people,” he added.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2019/10/25/twin-creek-wind-farm-outside-kapunda-is-approved/