13 May 2010
VICTORIA: New wind farm standards proposed by Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu would make it tougher to put up a wind turbine in regional Victoria than to dig a new coal mine. Australia's peak renewable energy body, the Clean Energy Council, says the proposed measures will only hurt communities in regional Victoria by driving new multi-billion dollar investment and thousands of regional jobs next door to South Australia. Clean Energy Council chief executive Matthew Warren said the industry was disappointed that Mr Ballieu would make such a radical announcement without even discussing his plan with the industry in question first."The clean energy industry welcomes the opportunity to work with the coalition to actually improve the process of wind farm development in Victoria," he said. "Victoria stands to get a big share of the looming $20 billion clean energy boom in Australia, but these new rules would just drive most of this interstate." In a national Newspoll survey last weekend commissioned by the CEC nearly 93% of Victorians said they wanted more renewable energy investment, not less. "These new proposed standards, which include a mandatory two-kilometere set back for wind turbines from houses, are not based on any scientific standard or measure. Victoria already uses some of the most rigorous standards for wind farm development in the world," Mr Warren said.
"What this means in practice is that under this new plan you would be able to locate a mine or a factory nearer a house in regional Victoria than you could a wind turbine. "Wind turbines are 21st century energy technology. They are clean and quiet. We recognise that there are some in the community who don't like them but these proposed measures aren't going to solve that. "The industry welcomes continued improvement in planning policy that adequately balances the needs of local communities while promoting the development of clean energy in Victoria," he said.
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