Pyrenees Advocate
Friday 7/3/2008 Page: 7
AROUND 70 members of the Stockyard Hill community gathered last Friday for a progress report on plans for a wind farm in the district. A community BBQ was arranged by Wind Power Pty Ltd to update residents on a study into the local Brolga population and what effect the proposed Stockyard Hill Wind Farm will have on the birds. Consultant Brett Lane has been engaged to study the local Brolga population, their movements and habits.
Mr Lane reported that his team had been studying the Brolgas in a 20 kilometre radius from the wind farm site. He has identified 18 breeding pairs of the endangered bird, which is about 5% of the entire population living within south-west Victoria. The study of the birds took place over several weeks. Mr Lane said field work is still being conducted in the district to further study the bird's movements and a final report will be submitted to Wind Power by mid April.
The Brolga is a native crane, predominantly grey in colour with a small red head patch and standing about 1.2 m tall. The species is listed as threatened on the state Flora and Fauna Act. Under the state wind energy planning guidelines, Wind Power is therefore obliged to investigate the potential impacts of the wind farm on the Brolga.
The proposed Stockyard Hill Wind Farm will encompass an area approximately five kilometers south of Beaufort down to approximately four kilometres north of Skipton, centred around Stockyard Hill and Lake Goldsmith. The proposal is in the very early stages of development and the number and location of turbines is unknown at this stage. However, Wind Power envisages that it will be a project of significance, consisting of approximately 150-200 turbines. The size and layout of the wind farm is subject to further environmental and wind resource investigations.
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