The winds of change blowing at Smeaton

Ballarat Courier
01/06/2007 Page: 4

Smeaton residents share a Friday night drink with deputy editor NICK HIGGINS while they discuss their thoughts about a proposed wind farm for their town.

IT'S claimed a proposed wind farm has divided the people of Smeaton, but at 6 o'clock on a Friday night the atmosphere at the town's pub could not be more convivial. Then again, it is the start of happy hour. Publican Helen Dillon says the hotel is "Switzerland" - neutral territory for the punters - and she doesn't venture an opinion on the plan by Melbourne-based company Wind Power to build 19 turbines on ridges north of Smeaton. Others have not been so reticent. The opposition to the turbines has been vocal and organised. Protest signs are everywhere close to the turbine site and a Spa Country branch of the anti-wind farm organisation, Landscape Guardians, has been established.

Will a Friday night at the hotel shed any light on whether Smeaton is a community divided or untroubled by the planned wind farm? It is certainly a talking point. Among the arrivals at the pub is Mark Doherty. He runs a quarry, Creswick Quartz, and has lived in Smeaton for four months. The consensus at work is that technologically, we must proceed," he says.

One of his workers, who wants to be known only as A.J., is in no doubt the turbines will be of value. "I reckon it's a good idea for the community and the power situation. It's going to help everybody down the line. Bring them on," the Allendale resident says. "It's naturally free power." Troy Fordham, who lives at Chines, well away from the turbine sites, says he doesn't care whether the plan goes ahead. If they make money off of then, good luck to them." Smeaton's Mark Lovett believes the turbines will be "good for business".

Debbie Arnold lived on New Zealand's North Island at Wairarapa before moving to Blampied a year ago. "These (turbines) have been going up in New Zealand for quite some time and we have some overlooking our property there and there's been no hoo-ha over it there, so I can't understand why there is any division," she said. Mrs Arnold said the turbines had increased property values. We see them on the horizon, the power that's generated is a good thing."

What emerges during talk at the pub is that the locals haven't confined their thinking on the energy issue to wind turbines. Many talk about a bigger picture and discuss the merits and risks of nuclear and coal-fired power. On the question of aesthetics, several mention a scoria pit at the edge of town as being a greater eyesore than the proposed turbines. There is a brief pause during happy hour while Mrs Dillon tells patrons that local couple Shane and Krisi Pedretti have bought into the pub as new partners.

Away from the bar and in a room with a pool table John Toose and Daryl McLeod are enjoying a quiet smoke. Mr Toose, an engineer and former farmer, has lived in Smeaton all his 63 years. "I think they (the turbines) are probably the best thing besides nuclear we can have," he says. Mr Toose says the protest signs are unattractive and a distraction for motorists. He says Victoria and Tasmania missed out on a huge power opportunity when a plan to dam the Franklin River in Tasmania was defeated.

Mr McLeod says he has no objection to the wind farm. "I've been over 75 per cent of Australia and those ones they first put up at Blayney, even to this day there are still people taking photos of them. 'They're a tourist attraction, they're still something new to Australia," Mr McLeod said. The Snowy hydro-electric scheme is stuffed. We cannot rely on back-tip of hydro in a country which is known as the driest on the whole planet."

Also enjoying a drink and a chat are Jim and Will Elsworth. The father and son object to the turbines which they say will be a scar on the landscape. "I think the main thing to come out of the whole issue is the social cohesion and the secrecy that goes into this proposal and how communities are kept in the dark," Will Elsworth says. He says it's shattering for farmers to learn turbines are going to be installed on neighbouring properties. At the end of the day there is no money in it for the community," he said.

Bruce Richardson knows the details of the plan perhaps better than most. If it goes ahead some turbines will be on his mother's property, which he farms along with his brother, Stuart. "It's a rough block and you can't make a living off it anyway," he says. "I am all for them, 85 to 90 per cent of the community is for them or couldn't care less." He says objectors have made tip the claim that communities are breaking down as "part of their attack" on the wind farm.

Smeaton resident Ken Vallance says those who object to the sight of the turbines should also be making an effort to stop operations at the scoria pit. If the turbines are built Dean Taylor, a 21-year-old shearer, will probably be living with them for longer than most of those around him near the bar. "I think it's progress and progress is good for the community," he says. "Nuclear is not the answer, there is a cleaner, cheaper, way and we can't burn coal forever. "I really think people are only making their own problems. It's only going to benefit the community. It's jealousy. People don't want to listen to the facts."