Turbines generate some positive street feedback

Hobart Mercury
Wednesday 21/7/2010 Page: 7

THE Marine Board Building's new wind turbines seem to be generating as much talk as electricity. However, most of the feedback is positive. "We've had lots of positive comments", said Rob Manson, director of I Want Energy, the firm responsible for the turbines. "Some have been negative, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Most of those people seem to be ill informed".

University students Airy Dart and Brielle Mason, who attend the nearby School of Art, had only good things to say yesterday about the installation of the turbines. "We walk past every day and it's great to look up and see them", Ms Dart said. "It's a wonderful idea". Ms Mason thinks the turbines are a great addition to the city. "I think it's a very economical concept - they are a fantastic initiative", she said. "We should have them everywhere".

But not everyone is admiring the new turbines. Hobart City Council alderman Ron Christie has already registered his disapproval of the turbines in the Mercury's letters section, comparing their installation to the, "circus coming to town". He puts them in the same category as Hobart's other, "Great structural blunders" that include the Zero Davey apartments.

State Architect Peter Poulet said he had reservations about the aesthetic impact of the turbines, but he thought they were a step in the right direction. "It's a great sign of a sustainable future for Tassie", Mr Poulet said. "Sure, there are arguments about the way they look, but the important factor is the initiative of the project. "The good thing about them is that they can be altered, changed or even replaced as we develop better technology. "I think they send all the right messages".

Mr Manson said he was not too concerned about the visual impact of the turbines. "They are designed to be as efficient as possible, which is why they spin vertically rather than horizontally", he said. Passers-by may notice that one turbine spins faster than the others, but Mr Manson said technicians were calibrating the turbines to determine how to maximise their efficiency.