Monday 10 July 2006

Wind farm energy OK

The Standard (Warrnambool), Page: 3
Monday, 10 July 2006

A STATE Government report has cleared the way for more wind farms to be built in the south-west. The report has found wind farms are successful in preventing greenhouse gas emissions, saving more than 250,000 tonnes of emissions each year, the same amount emitted by 60,000 cars. The report, prepared by McLennan Magasanik Associates for Sustainability Victoria, contradicts wind farm critics such as federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Peter McGauran. While in the south-west recently Mr McGauran said wind farms were a "complete fraud" that generate "next to no" electricity.

But State Environment Minister Theo Theophanous said the report proved wind farms in Victoria had generated enough energy to power 90,000 homes for a year. "This report shows critics of wind energy such as Mr McGauran are illinformed," Mr Theophanous said. The report found wind farms in Victoria produced 104 megawatts of energy a year. Mr Theophanous said this reinforced the Bracks Government's policy to support further wind energy development in Victoria.

This could mean more wind farm projects for the south-west. "This new report shows the greenhouse gas savings we can achieve as our wind energy industry grows in Victoria," Mr Theophanous said. "When our wind energy capacity approaches 1000 megawatts we are going to see some really big greenhouse savings, putting us on the path to avoiding dangerous climate change. "But Hawkesdale Macarthur Landscape Guardians president and neighbour to the proposed Macarthur Wind Farm, Roger Learmonth, was suspicious of the results and said he didn't believe they could have come from inland wind farms.

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