Perth office powered by wind turbines

West Australian
Thursday 11/12/2008 Page: 16

A plan to install three egg beater-style wind turbines on the roof of a new Perth office block has been given the green light after the State Administrative Tribunal yesterday overturned the Perth City Council's decision to reject the proposal. The five-storey Durack 2 office block was approved at the residential end of Terrace Road near Victoria Avenue in April and in August the council was asked to consider a separate application for three 9m-high turbines, which would be painted red and sit on the south-west corner of the roof.

Council officers had recommended a 12-month trial but councillors canned the idea, claiming once they were installed they would not be removed. The council had received 65 objections and faced a packed public gallery of angry residents before making the decision. The tribunal's decision means the turbines can be permanent, as long as monitoring ensures they do not breach noise limits, making Durack 2 Perth's first six green star building. Construction should be completed within a few months and the turbines should be generating electricity for the building by early next year.