Tests for massive wind farm Groundwork is under way

Warrnambool Standard
Friday 16/5/2008 Page: 2

PREPARATION work has started in Macarthur on an $850 million wind farm - the largest in Australasia. The huge project covers 5500 hectares on three farming properties with 150 huge turbines generating enough electricity for up to 150,000 homes - equivalent to the size of Geelong. Construction is scheduled to start next year and will involve up to 200 workers on the site for up to three years.

When completed the wind farm will need 15 full-time staff to maintain it. The steel towers and hightech turbine generators will stretch 135 metres from the ground to the top of the wind blades. The finished Macarthur development will make south-west Victoria one of the largest wind power providers in Australia. Four wind farms are already standing with another nine in the planning stages. An industry source told The Standard yesterday up to 15 new wind farms were proposed for Moyne Shire alone.

There were 1300 submissions on the Macarthur project with about 90 per cent in favour. Objections cited environmental, visual and amenity concerns which went through appeals hearings. Moyne Shire Council issued a planning permit two years ago for the joint venture between AGL Energy and Meridian Energy, New Zealand. Yesterday an engineering contractor began sinking sample bores for geotechnical tests which will determine ground stability.

Other tests and studies are being done to meet government criteria on social impact, environment and traffic issues. Meridian's commercial development manager Graham Ebbett said it was hoped all permit requirement studies would be complete by November ready for government approval. He said he could not guarantee the Keppel Prince wind tower factory at Portland would be used, but locally sourced materials would "where appropriate."