Wind farm test tower sabotage

Camperdown Chronicle
Friday 27/10/2006, Page: 1

Police are investigating the suspected sabotage of a wind farm company's test tower at Naroghid.

Wind Farm Developments manager Jonathan Upson said the company was alerted to the tower's damage at the end of September. "We had a landowner contact us late last month telling us the very top section of the tower had been bent over," he said.

"The farmer said he figured the wind had blown it over, as it had been very windy a couple of days before he noticed the damage. "That's kind of unusual, but it could happen." Mr Upson said a company contractor determined the tower was sabotaged when the damage was assessed two weeks later.

"When the contractor got out there, he concluded that the tower hadn't blown over, someone had cut a few of the guide cables supporting it. "We then filed a police report and Colac CIU is investigating the incident." Mr Upson said he found it surprising somebody would sabotage the project.

However, he said the Naroghid Wind Farm development would still go ahead as planned. "We never thought this would happen," he said. "The tower has been up for a fair while.

"I don't know anyone who would do this, but obviously it is someone who clearly does not like the project and is willing to undertake criminal behaviour. "However, as disappointing as it is, it does not change a thing.

"It is not going to stop the project from happening." In August, State Minister for Planning Rob Hulls approved the $80 million, 42- megawatt Naroghid wind farm, which could potentially power 25,000 homes.

The development includes the construction of 21 turbines 2.5km from Lake Bullen Merri and 4km from Cobden. When the project was signed off, Cobden Aero Club was the main objector. However, former club president, now treasurer, Duncan Morris said there was "certainly no-one" at the club who would consider sabotaging the development.

"Although the club is not in favour of the project, there is no-one I'm aware of that would break the law in such a way," he said.

Mr Morris said the club was not against the project as a whole. He said the club's main objection was the positioning of two towers.

"All we wanted, and what we still want, is to have a one kilometre corridor at either side of the run-way's extended corridor, which is what the air ambulance's senior base pilot requested.

"The proposed plan for the position of turbines has two towers which prevents us from achieving this. "Our primary aim is for the air ambulance to have unrestricted access to the airstrip. "It is a critical issue for the region as we are the only airstrip, other than Warmambool, Geelong and Ballarat, available in the area." Mr Upson said a panel of experts did not think IMN the positioning of the wind farm's towers was a threat to the air strip.

"At the end of the day, when the air ambulance, aviation experts and the (Corangamite) shire, who owns the airstrip, looked at the evidence they concluded that the wind farm was not going to be a problem," he said.

Mr Upson said the company was currently holding talks with potential financial investors for the project. He said if all went to plan the wind farm's construction would begin as early as the end of next year.

A Colac CIU spokesperson said he had no updates on the suspected sabotage of the Naroghid Wind Farm test tower. "We are still undertaking our investigations," he said.