Sun on the stubble

Wimmera Mail Times
Friday 22/9/2006, Page: 20

Time to harvest solar energy...

THE possibility of the Wimmera tapping into a multi-million dollar solar energy power station excites me. Why wouldn't it? The Wimmera is well known for its flat plains and sunny skies and to miss the opportunity to take advantage of our situation would be to our detriment.

As our coal reserves start to dwindle and the ozone takes a battering, we have a duty to look forward as a region. Everyone in the Wimmera and southern Mallee would benefit. Remember when natural gas came to Horsham? That was a win for everyone.

Gas is cleaner, cheaper and I reckon better for cooking and heating- I'd have gas air-conditioning if I could! Can you imagine some big mirrors sitting out on the Kalkee plains generating power for the Wimmera? And imagine if we put up some wind turbines to generate wind power.

I'm sure there are plenty of farmers out there who would happily take the annual rent for having them in a paddock, which at the moment don't seem to be doing much except growing dust to swap with neighbours. Anyone standing outside on Tuesday will attest to the Wimmera's ability to generate wind - and I'm talking about the natural variety.

I can see a day when the Wimmera would be totally reliant on both solar and wind power. We could even cut the line to the east and therefore do our bit for the environment. I expect, though, that there will be people against such proposals but at the end of the day the sun and the wind are the only really environmentally-friendly power sources.

We've heard about the controversy of the Bald Hills and coastline wind turbines destroying birds and views, but out here in the Wimmera, even the stupidest bird could avoid a turbine, and if it doesn't, it's natural selection.

The turbines themselves would attract the odd tourist to the region too, not drive them away - who hasn't had a good look at the Challicum Hills towers east of Ararat on the way to Melbourne? Bring on solar and wind power.