No hope for Vestas plant

Burnie Advocate
Tuesday 19/12/2006 Page: 7
By SEAN FORD

FEDERAL Labor's renewed commitment to an increased renewable energy target will not save Vestas' wind turbine nacelle plant at Wynyard.

However, hopes remain another opportunity will be found for the site which may provide jobs for some of the Kevin Rudd committed to increasing the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) at a meeting with regional mayors and the Cradle Coast Authority yesterday.

The Federal Government's decision not to increase or extend the MRET beyond 2010 has been widely seen as a stake 65-strong workforce through the heart of after the factory ceases Vestas' Tasmanian production this week. operations and other New Labor Leader now sidelined Tasmanian renewable energy projects.

Vestas' Wynyard managing director, Lee Whiteley, said there was no hope Vestas would continue at Wynyard. "I will be continuing to look at options in the new year. "There's nothing concrete." All the workers had stayed together to date, with Vestas providing generous redundancy conditions which allowed that, he said.

Mr Whiteley stopped short of blaming Federal MRET policy for the closure. He said increased transport costs was Vestas' main reason for the decision. Market demand also played a role, he said.

"We've received very strong support from the Federal Government should we decide to look at other opportunities here in future." Braddon Labor candidate Sid Sidebottom said Labor had not decided on the size of the MRET target it would have if elected next year.

Braddon Liberal MHR Mark Baker would not say if he agreed with Government policy on the MRET. He said energy costs and environmental issues must be balanced in energy policy.