Council pushes ahead with wave power plan

Border Watch
Friday 4/4/2008 Page: 7

Port MacDonnell is still being considered as a potential site for a wave energy technology project, with Grant District Council soon to meet with Carnegie Corporation, to further state their case for hosting the plant. Grant District Council chief executive officer Russell Peate said council had already offered in principle support for the Carnegie Corporation's CETO wave energy project to be established in Port MacDonnell. While the Carnegie Corporation is still considering and investigating other possible locations around the country, Mr Peate said council had been continuing their contact with the organisation to express their interest in the project.

This had led to Carnegie Corporation agreeing to meet again with Grant District Council "They will be visiting in mid-April to further discuss the proposal with myself and other council representatives," Mr Peate said. He was confident the Port MacDonnell region would be an appropriate site for the new technology and was hopeful the Carnegie Corporation would continue to consider the region in their investigations.

"We're still very positive that we are still being considered and that we can move forward with this," he said. The possibility of attracting the wave energy project to the South East would continue the region's commitment to renewable energy, building on the success of both wind energy and geothermal energy plants in the Wattle Range Council area. "Hopefully this area can continue to be highlighted as an area of clean, green energy," Mr Peate said.