Australian
8 September 2011, Page: 33
I'VE written about some wacky government decisions in my time, but none so great as the Victorian brain explosion over wind farms. This policy is tantamount to banning wind farms from a state that seems to rejoice in the dirtiest forms of power generation while reviling the most viable form of clean energy. It may kill an industry that had promised to energise local economies and their property markets in the state's southwest. The policy has been inspired by small numbers of noisy NIMBYites who fantasise all kinds of horrors from wind turbines, including health issues and decimation of property values, the lack of evidence notwithstanding.
The measures originate from the state election campaign late last year, during which the Liberal Party promised to constrain the emerging wind farm industry. Some of the country folk, it seems, don't like the look of these newfangled gizmos. It's not uncommon for political parties to promise big pre-election and deliver small after the votes have been counted. The Liberals in Victoria have done something quite rare. They've gone even further than the election promises.
They've banned wind farms completely from some areas of the state, including the Macedon Ranges, the Mornington Peninsula and the Yarra Ranges. The state government has also prohibited wind turbines within 5km of specified regional towns. The kicker is the veto power it gives to property owners. Residents can scuttle wind farm developments close to their homes by refusing to give written permission. I've seen these restrictions described as the most stringent for wind farms in Australia. But they're more than that. They're the most stringent restrictions on anything in Australia. I'm not aware of residents having the right of veto over any other form of development, anywhere in the nation.
Why this extraordinary antagonism towards wind power? And why the lack of action on other facilities that really do pose a risk to communities? In Victoria's Latrobe Valley, residents of towns such as Morwell and Traralgon live under the permanent shroud created by the outpourings from coal-fired power stations. In suburban Melbourne, residents live in suburbs adjacent to a toxic waste dump and have been protesting for years without any government sympathy.
In Cranbourne in Melbourne's southeast, residents had to be evacuated because of the toxic fumes from another waste facility that sits next to family homes. At least they got some justice not from government, mind you, but from the Supreme Court of Victoria, which delivered a $23.5 million settlement in favour of residents who mounted a class action.
If a government wanted to give residents a power of veto, it might consider the plight of residents who live next to those kinds of toxic facilities. We live in a country where resources companies are allowed to drill for coal seam gas in inner-city suburbs, but something as inoffensive as a wind farm can be vetoed by a single disaffected resident. The cynic in me believes the real issue with the wind farm controversy in rural areas is that landowners who are well-paid to have turbines on their land are in favour and miraculously suffer no health consequences but those who miss out on the money develop grievances and illnesses.
The imagined horrors caused by wind farms have created a form of mass hysteria. Here's one comment from a resident in rural South Australia about a proposed development: "We are concerned about our health, how it could affect land values and noise". What health issues, given that no one has established any link between wind turbines and health problems? Does anyone have any evidence that wind farms affect land values? And, as for noise, I've stood beneath turbines with blades rotating in the breeze and haven't heard anything other than the sound of the wind.
The saddest thing is that wind farms offer a genuine alternative to the polluting power stations of Victoria during this time of climate change debate. At the same time, they can generate significant economic activity, creating income for landowners, jobs for local workers, spending in local businesses and demand for real estate. The Clean Energy Council says the policy will result in $3 billion in lost investment in Victoria. "The setback the government was talking about would reduce investment in wind power in Victoria by 50-70%", it says.
The billion-dollar Macarthur wind farm already under way in southwestern Victoria is boosting the economy of nearby Portland because the seaside town has an engineering business that manufactures the towers for the wind turbines. It employs hundreds of people and half of them specialise in making wind farm towers. Yes, they actually manufacture things at a time when Australian manufacturing is down. It's one of the reasons real estate values have remained strong in Portland at a time when we keep hearing about falling markets around Australia. It would be a shame if Victoria's ill-considered wind farm policy snuffed out one of Australia's good news stories.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
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