March 1, 2021
Australia
Australia
Moyne Shire Councillor Jim Doukas pushes for noise reports at Ryan Corner wind farm to be independently checked
Jackson Graham | The Standard | March 1 2021 | www.standard.net.au
Jackson Graham | The Standard | March 1 2021 | www.standard.net.au
A civic leader is trying to muster support from fellow councillors to request an independent contractor check noise testing at a second Moyne Shire wind farm site.
Cr Jim Doukas wants the independent testing for the Ryan Corner Wind Farm, planned for north-east of Port Fairy.
Moyne Shire councillors narrowly voted in December to independently verify noise testing at the Hawkesdale Wind Farm.
The Hawkesdale testing is expected to cost rateypayers between $20,000 and $50,000, although the council hasn't chosen a contractor yet.
The developer of both projects, Global Power Generation, told The Standard last week its testing showed noise from the Ryan Corner Wind Farm site would be compliant.
Cr Doukas said he was sceptical of the results.
"It has got to the point with wind farms, not only in Moyne but around the country, where a lot of the noise testing the companies have done is being challenged," he said.
"It would be in the shire's interest if we did our own independent testing."
Cr Doukas will push for the testing at Tuesday's Moyne Shire Council meeting.
He also wants the council's Hawkesdale testing to be public once complete and wind farm developers shire-wide to release raw data from noise testing.
"They don't provide the raw data, they just provide (complied) reports," he said.
"If the wind farms provided the raw data, the shire could then get their own consultants to review it."
Cr Doukas said the council should be willing to spend ratepayer money on the testing because it received rates from wind farms.