Panel Hearings to consider Crowlands Wind Farm

Pyrenees Advocate
Friday 8/2/2008 Page: 7

Pacific Hydro's planning application for the Crowlands Wind Farm will be considered in six days of Panel Hearings which commenced on Tuesday in Beaufort. The Panel will hear from a range of interested parties including members of the local community, the CFA and Council in considering Pacific Hydro's wind farm application before making a recommendation to the State Government.

"Pacific Hydro has received overwhelming support for the project from the community in and around Crowlands since we began our consultation in 2004", said Pacific Hydro Executive Manager, Andrew Richards. "The Panel Hearings provide transparency in the planning process by ensuring all parties can have their say about the project before recommendations are made," he said.

Pacific Hydro submitted a planning application for the Crowlands Wind Farm in June 2007. The application seeks approval for a wind farm of up to 75, 2.3 megawatt wind generators along the ridge-top between Crowlands and Glenlofty.

At this maximum size, the proposed wind farm would produce 430 gigawatt hours of zero emission electricity each year; equivalent to the annual power consumption of 80,000 Victorian households, or the combined residential needs of Ballarat and Bendigo. The site, located in the Pyrenees Shire, is approximately 25km north-east of Ararat. The area proposed for the wind farm consists of cleared grazing land and has a low density population.

"The role of the community in Pacific Hydro's process has been essential ", added Mr Richards. "Community feedback has been combined with results from specialist studies undertaken to inform the design of the wind farm," he said. Following the Panel Hearings in February, a recommendation will be made to the Minister for Planning with the results expected to be known by April 2008. The hearings were held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with further hearings scheduled for next Tuesday.