Wind farm closer

Cairns Post
Friday 18th, August 2006

A WIND farm big enough to power Cairns and to be built at Archer Point south of Cooktown will move a step closer today. Large chunks of seaward land will be set aside for Queensland's largest windfarm - expected to cost about $220 million to build over the next two years. Reserves would also be declared for Cook Shire Council parks and a future sea port, government sources revealed.

The land grab, which has the blessing of indigenous leaders, includes hundreds of hectares of prime bushland to be converted to national park and still more to he given to traditional land owners.

Windpower Queensland managing director Lloyd Stumer said today's handover of land was the first step towards a clean, independent power supply for the Far North. "It should generate more than enough power to supply Cairns," Mr Stumer said. "It's certainly the best site in Queensland for a wind farm. "A lot of Cairns's power comes from near Rockhainpton and that's a long way to send power. "North Queensland does need a new power supply because demand is growing. "There are no new sites for hydro-generation, there are no coal-powered stations and other than going to some silly idea like building a nuclear power station then wind is the answer."

The wind farm 30km south of Cooktown would initially generate about 120 mega-watts from up to 60 towers, with the possibility to expand to 250 megawatts if demand was high enough, Mr Stumer said.

Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation executive director Gerhardt Pearson described the wind farm as an economic lifeline for the Cooktown region. "I think that the establishment of a wind farm in that area would he a huge benefit to the whole community and while the construction of this is done primarily by technologically qualified people, certainly our intention is to engage the company in the recruitment of local people," Mr Pearson said.