Democrats leader visits Bald Hill's

Great Southern Star
Tuesday 26/9/2006 Page: 5

THE Leader of the Australian Democrats Senator Lyn Allison visited the proposed site of the 52-turbine Bald Hills wind farm earlier today. Democrats spokesperson for resources, energy and infrastructure, Senator Allison is a strong advocate of renewable energy and a cautious supporter of wind power.

"I expect that wind farms will go ahead on the very windiest sites in Australia:' Senator Allison said recently. "There are some problems in that approach, because they tend to be also the most sensitive sites. "They'll be on coastal areas. They'll tend to be places which are environmentally sensitive and aesthetically sensitive.

"In a way it would be better if we had a scheme which allowed the wind farm to set up in places such as industrial sites alongside railway lines and freeways and the like. "We are running something of a risk that we'll see in Australia opposition to wind farms, because of that sensitivity to the sites."

Senator Allison attended a recent wind power roundtable in Canberra (September 11). Hosted by the Federal Minister for the environment Senator Ian Campbell, the conference called for a national wind farm code.

At the conference the Democrats called on the Federal Government to "not give precedence to people who oppose wind turbines purely because they don't like the look of them".

"While the Democrats support some sort of wind farm code or industry best practice guidelines to address site selection, environmental issues and community concerns, we would be concerned if individuals who lobby against wind farms because they don't like the look of them are given precedence over the broader need to address climate change."

Senator Allison said. "Climate change is a serious economic, social and environmental issue for Australia and wind farms play a key role in combating climate change."

Senator Allison also visited the property of Lindsay Marriott, of Tarwin Lower, who is one of several neighbouring farmers who have been contracted to have the turbines erected on their land. Accompanying the Senator was Wind Power Pty Ltd director Steve Buckle.

In a re-submission of his $220 million Bald Hills proposal to Minister Campbell earlier this month, Mr Buckle has offered to contribute almost $1 million towards a $3.2 million government fund to save the orangebellied parrot from extinction.

The tiny bird, of which few breeding pairs exist, became the centrepiece in the Bald Hills battle, when the Minister put a stop to the proposal by naming the endangered parrot as a potential turbine victim, even though the State Government had already approved the wind energy plant.

Wind Power took Federal court action, which was called off when the Minister agreed "to have another look" at the proposal by way of a revised submission. He received the submission a week ago.

It offers a contribution of $750,000 towards the parrot's recovery and breeding program and "set aside $25,000 per annum for the commercial life of the proposal (totalling $625,000) for a local community fund".

Pressure is coming from Victoria's Planning Minister Rob Hulls for Senator Campbell to improve the project. "This project has been through an exhaustive and independent public consultation process. Senator Campbell should just approve this wind farm and stop playing political games," Mr Hulls said.