Monaro seen as ideal region for windfarms

Cooma Monaro Express
29/08/2006 Page: 4

Dr Mark Diesendorf, an expert on environmental studies at the University of NSW, told the forum that he held some reservations about some of the arguments that were posed by the anti-windfarm people.

"I have talked to a number of windfarm opponents and have studied their literature for the last couple of years." Dr Diesendorf said.

"I was disappointed that the windfarm people in this area are using the same kind of misleading arguments, and in some cases very inaccurate arguments, to try and stop wind power.

"There is no way wind power can affect the property value of broad acre farms. It's just irrelevant that was one of the main arguments that was used against wind power tonight. There are a lot of other arguments, that were really very fallacious and I was very disappointed from that point of view."

"It is an ideal region (for windfarms). A region of broad acre farms, a region of wide-open, unforested, wind sweep plains and most people will never see these wind turbines unless they make a special trip.

"There are very few neighbours in the areas that are proposed in Cooma-Monaro. In my mind it is in an ideal region but it's important that the majority of citizens do support the projects. I do not take the view that a hand full of objectors should rule the day. I would see them as the ones who are causing the division."