Concern at eagle deaths

Launceston Examiner
04/01/2008 Page: 5

RADAR and infra-red technology will be investigated as possible ways to reduce the number of endangered Wedge-Tailed Eagles being killed by turbines at the Woolnorth Wind Farm in the State's North-West. Birds Tasmania chairman Eric Woehler reported this week that up to 18 of the protected birds had been killed at the farm. Re said the eagles could not pick out the turbine blades, which can rotate at up to 300kmh. Roaring 40s, a partnership of Hydro Tasmania and China Light and Power, operates the Woolnorth farm, the largest of its type in Australia. Company public relations manager Josh Bradshaw said it shared the same concerns as Birds Tasmania "with regards to any collisions at Woolnorth."

He said there was a number of protection procedures already in place at the site and Roaring 40s also supported breeding and nest-protection programmes statewide in an aim to increase overall population numbers. "Currently, we have on-ground observers from dawn to dusk during periods of northeast weather patterns the most dangerous to the birds," he said. "We also have what's called a temporary turbine shutdown procedure, whereby the observers can get in contact with our control room and we can shut down certain turbines if there's a danger of a collision with a Wedge-Tailed Eagle."

Mr Bradshaw said that the wind farm's plan was approved by State and federal regulators with the knowledge that some collisions might be inevitable. "But obviously we would prefer it if there were none," he said. "We are planning on sending some personnel overseas to review some of the methods that have been trialled in Canada and the US, where some infra-red technology and radar technology has been looked into. "None of the technology is proven, so it's still very early days."