Wind farms in Moorabool? Fat chance!

Ballan News
Thursday 28/9/2006, Page: 12

Environmental Opinion By Jon Rivers

A recent media release by the Moorabool Shire Council discussed the recent visit of the Mayor, Cr Peter Russell, to Canberra to participate in the round table discussion on needs to a national code for wind energy farms.

Cr Russell was invited by Senator Ian Campbell, the minister against wind farms, based on his previous decision to not allow a wind farm development because of a 1 in 1000 year possibility that an Orange bellied parrot "may" be killed. Senator Ian Campbell should be called the minister against the environment.

Apparently, the Moorabool Shire was asked to attend because of its experience with Yaloak and Clarkes Hills wind farms, according to the shires press release, both of which never made it past the planning stage.

What a fantastic record to be asked to attend a planning session for wind farms. The round table was actually the modern day equivalent of the Emperors clothes.

Isn't it great to have a bureaucracy that ensure vocal minorities are pampered to while we all go about absolutely stuffing up the environment for our children.

The bureaucrats can go home each night, smug in the fact that they have done the right thing by their career, their standing in the community, the bureaucratic process and the planning laws, so "stuff the environment".

Meanwhile, the greenhouse effect worsens, rain will become less (and it will, just look around), the economy in Southern Australia will be put at jeopardy, town's will run out of water. But rest assured, the bureaucrats will have lived on for another day, and so the political process continues.

How pathetic.

Cr Russell first said in the press release of how the Moorabool Shire council was committed to protecting the environment, showing leadership and in building environmental awareness.

So far, so good. He then went on to say that "any national code to this industry regarding the location of a wind farm must talk of the proper consultation with the community in the planning process"

What I fear he really said was, " Although as individuals many of us would like to have wind farms we must listen to and obey the vocal minority, the planning process pushed upon us by the state and federal government and our own special local idiosyncrasies, so sorry, but not wind farms for Moorabool as it is all just way too hard."

I really wish I was wrong, and would love to be proved wrong in the future, but the Moorabool area has a 100% strike rate against wind farms, whatever the reason.

Australia has a fantastic opportunity to build sustainable energy based on solar, wind and nuclear, and yet the political process stops it at all levels. The State Labor government has done some good things in the area of wind farms and has to be acknowledged and applauded as doing so, but does fade away with nuclear and happily allows the brown coal fired power stations to spew out dirty greenhouse gases and toxins that will always be in the environment for out children "enjoy".

This current generation should collectively hang our heads in shame at the future we will leave out children. No wind farms for rural Victoria, no clean nuclear, no solar, just the same old same old brown fired coal polluting the atmosphere. And our excuse, we are just part of the political process. I know I feel better because of this.

What's your opinion?