New optimism on $500m CH project: Wind Farm Bonanza

Burnie Advocate
26/11/2007 Page: 1

LABOR'S election win is set to deliver a $500 million North-West wind farm project on top of the party's $95 million worth of promises for the region. Labor has vowed to restore rail between Burnie and Circular Head, provide a $12 million manufacturing centre and make significant strides in health care, as well as improve West Coast rail. Its 20 per cent by 2020 renewable energy target is set to reignite the wind farm industry which stalled under the Howard Government.

Brothers John, Keith and Chauncey Hammond are working towards half-a-billion dollars' worth of wind farm projects at Circular Head - projects which were feared dead after the Coalition went soft on renewable energy in 2004. If they went ahead, the wind farms on Robbins Is and at Jims Plain would be similar in size to Hydro Tasmania's massive Woolnorth wind farms, John Hammond said yesterday. "We feel a lot more optimism. We've been actively doing some background work; it certainly is very much a positive direction." They had done two years of environmental surveys when the Howard Government decided not to increase the energy target in 2004. "That put us on hold."

New Labor Braddon MHR Sid Sidebottom said: "They are very enthusiastic about our policy and we are very enthusiastic about their plans." He said the 2004 Howard decision cost the North-West the Vestas wind farm component plant and 65 jobs at Wynyard. He was now hopeful of more major projects and developments in the renewables field, saying it would tie in with Labor's plan for a $12 million manufacturing centre. "It will depend on commercial decisions. .. at least the investment climate and renewable energy climate will be amenable."

Labor's key North-West and West Coast commitments include:

• $30 million to re-start rail between Burnie and Wiltshire, in Circular Head, helping local industry and cutting truck movements;
• $11.7 million for extending rail between Zeehan and Melba Flats, helping mining companies and cutting truck movements;
• $5 million for a GP super clinic in Devonport and $2.5 million for a GP after hours clinic in Burnie, taking pressure off hospitals;
• $7.7 million for a cancer treatment unit, likely to be in Burnie;
• $10 million for better patient transport, with a North-West focus;
• $3 million for Burnie waterfront improvements;
• $2 million for Ulverstone wharf and showground redevelopment; and
• $2.5 million for work at the Mersey Bluff.

Mr Sidebottom said he could not give time frames on the projects yet, but Labor had made the commitments and it was his job to start the process of delivering them.