The Moyne Gazette, Page: 7
Thursday, 29 June 2006
THE Australian wind energy industry has hit back at claims this week by federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran that the industry was "a complete fraud." Auswind president Andrew Richards said many of Mr McGauran's comments regarding wind energy were "quite simply incorrect." Mr McGauran, who said he was speaking as the Member for Gippsland, told dairy farmers at Allansford this week wind farms only existed on taxpayers' subsidies and devalued the value of adjoining properties. Wind farms have provoked controversy in Gippsland and in the Moyne Shire.
Moyne Shire is the site of two large proposed wind farms with one planning to erect nearly 200 wind towers between Macarthur and Hawkesdale and the other nearly 100 at Ryan Corner near Port Fairy and Hawkesdale. Wind farms of smaller scale already exist at Codrington and Yambuk. Mr Richards said wind energy had been embraced in India, China, Europe and the United States because it delivered substantial quantities of clean green energy, stimulated investment and employment and provided valuable income to farmers and local communities. "Many of Minister McGauran's own parliamentary colleagues, including the local member, David Hawker, Environment Minister Senator Ian Campbell and Prime Minister John Howard have stated that alternative forms of energy, including wind, must play a part in Australia's future energy mix.
He said developers did not receive government financial assistance to build wind farms and consumers who bought green energy did so at a small price premium. He also said that rather than destroying land values, wind energy drove regional investment and created substantial financial benefits for regional Australia. He said wind energy could provide significant quantities of clean green energy.
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