Ballarat Courier
27/09/2007 Page: 4
PROPERTIES near wind turbines are unlikely to lose value, according to two independent valuers. Leader Property Practice director Alan Hives said in his experience, properties surrounding wind projects at Waubra and Challicum Hills hadn't shown any decrease in land prices. Mr Hives said the market was indicating turbines weren't scaring people away from buying property. We are just looking at what the market is doing at present and Waubra is a good case," he said.
The sales to date don't demonstrate any drop in value. There are a couple of sales there showing stronger prices than we have seen." Mr Hives, a property assessor for 25 years in Ballarat, said turbines did have the potential to scare buyers from purchasing property for a rural lifestyle or view, but because of demand it was likely any impact on value would rebound.
It will put some people off and that's fair enough. It will suit some and not others. In the end there will be people who won't like them and won't want to live near them, but people will want to take their place and I don't think the overall market will be impacted that much." The Spa Country Landscape Guardians Group, which opposes a proposed wind farm north of Smeaton, has used property values as an argument against the development.
A letter one landholder received from prospective buyers listed the proposed wind farm as the reason they decided not to buy. Ararat registered valuer Wigg & Partners director Peter Wigg also said he hadn't seen any evidence wind turbines had affected values around Challicum Hills. "I haven't seen any evidence to suggest properties within close proximity to wind farms have a substantial change to their value," he said.
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