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‘Absolute idiocy’: Barossa Valley locals protest against wind farm project in South Australia tourist hotspot
Credit: Max Melzer - March 21, 2025 - skynews.com.au ~~
Residents in the Barossa Valley have launched a protest against a planned offshore wind farm, saying it was “absolute idiocy” to build the project in one of South Australia’s premier tourist destinations.
Developer RES Australia has submitted plans to upsize the proposed Twin Creek Wind Farm, with 42, 220 metre tall turbines set to be constructed off the coast near St Kitts.
The company had already received approval to build 51, 180 metre tall turbines on the site in 2019, although these were to be constructed in a different area further away from the scenic Barossa Valley.
Speaking to Sky News Australia on Thursday evening, Hansborough and Districts Residents Group secretary Mary Morris claimed as many as 200 locals were set to turn out in protest against the project over concerns it would be “an absolute eyesore”.
“I think people are just really waking up to it now and this is the chance they’ve got to put in a submission against it,” she said.
“This project was actually approved once before, but it was never built because of the environmental concerns there. The company’s having another go and this time they’re closer to the Barossa because they bought a property that was constraining them before.
“So, closer to the Barossa, taller than they were before. It’s going to be an absolute eyesore.”
Thousands of tourists flock to the Barossa Valley each year to enjoy its famed wineries and scenic countryside, with visitors playing a key role in supporting the local economy.
As a result, Ms Morris argued it was “absolute idiocy” for the state government to approve the project, given the impact it could have on tourism.
An RES Australia summary of the project stated it was “not expected to be detrimental to the landscape”, with the developer also arguing “there are no visually sensitive or scenic areas in the region”.
Despite this, Ms Morris remained steadfast as she urged the SA government to consider moving the wind farm elsewhere.
“South Australia is pretty big, there’s a lot of area in it that has no people at all and close to transmission lines,” she said.
“There’s just absolutely no justification for putting it so close to the Barossa Valley.”
The SA government is yet to make a determination on whether the reworked version of the wind farm can proceed.
Environmental concerns about the endangered pygmy blue-tongue lizard, which is found in the region, are also set to be examined before any decision is made.
RES Australia is due to submit a federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act referral regarding the reptiles for consideration.
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