Goulburn project comes first

Barrier Daily Truth
Friday 25/1/2008 Page: 3

Epuron's partnership with Origin Energy to build a wind farm near Goulburn won't impact on the Silverton proposal except perhaps in construction lessons learned, said Epuron's executive director, Andrew Durran. "The big impact will be experience gained in the construction project, which will happen before Silverton," Mr Durran told BDT yesterday.

Epuron has gone into partnership with Origin Energy Ltd to develop wind farms in NSW. The first project will be the Cullerin Range 30 megawatt wind farm near Goulburn in NSW. Origin Energy expects to start commissioning the wind farm next year. Mr Durran said planning approval has been obtained and Origin Energy is financing construction. "The sooner we construct it, the sooner we learn tricks of the trade," he said. He said the last wind farm built in NSW was seven years ago at Hampton, near Lithgow. It consists of only two turbines generating 1.32 MW, enough to power 500 houses.

When fully operational, the Cullerin Range wind farm will save about 100,000 tonnes of carbon per year or provide enough renewable electricity to power nearly 15,000 average homes in NSW, Origin Energy said. The Cullerin Range wind farm is one of three permitted sites in NSW, including the Conory's Gap and Snowy Plains sites, where Origin Energy has also acquired the rights to develop 30MW projects.

Epuron's Silverton proposal is to build between 400 and 500 wind turbines on the ranges outside the township. The project cost is estimated at $2.5 billion and Macquarie Bank has signed a joint venture agreement with Epuron to develop and build the farm together. Mr Durran said Epuron was finalising a range of development studies for the project, assessing potential effects of the wind farm. "We're summarising them for the final development approval which will be lodged with the State Government end of March." The wind farm has attracted supporters and opponents, including concern for the environmental, social and aesthetic impact on Silverton that 500 turbines will have.

Mr Durran said a "small" level of local opposition still existed and hadn't changed from when the proposal was first announced. "Our position remains unchanged and we acknowledge some impact relatively close to town. "We can't put them underground...we try to understand their concerns and anything we haven't been told, we need to know about it" He said Epuron was investigating ways it can offer additional benefits to the township as part of the development.

Epuron has also planned to conduct more community consultation, including industry briefings to prepare local businesses for what they can provide during construction of the farm. But the State Government's commitment to renewable energy might be the final arbiter on the project. Mr Durran said the project hinges on the level of government support in terms of renewable energy legislation.

He said Epuron depended on the government passing legislation that required the state's electricity suppliers to buy a certain amount of renewable energy. "Without the legislation, it's not viable," said Mr Durran. He said the legislation has been introduced to parliament but that's as far as it has got. "They're stalling," said Mr Durran. He said Epuron was working on its development application on the basis the legislation will be in place. "The DA will be (lodged) parallel to that," he said. "There won't be construction until the legislation is passed by Parliament."