Panel hearing on $145m Hawkesdale wind farm

Hamilton Spectator
Tuesday 20/3/2007 Page: 5

AN independent planning panel hearing into the proposed $145 million wind farm near Hawkesdale will be held mid-April. But Gamesa, the major partner in developing both the 31-turbine Hawkesdale wind farm and the Ryan Corner wind farm near Port Fairy. will no longer be involved in the project.

A panel hearing for the Hawkesdale project has been set down for April 11-12 and April 17-18. A Victorian Planning Department spokeswoman said a venue hadn't been decided but it was likely to be either Hawkesdale or Port Fairy. The dates for the panel hearing were set at a direction hearing in Port Fairy last Thursday.

Gamesa had an 80 per stake in the two wind farms but has been bought out by its minor partner, TME Australia, which like Gamesa has its home base in Spain. Gamesa's outgoing project manager. Neil Weston, said that as part of the sale Gamesa would continue to provide technical and engineering support to TME Australia for the Hawkesdale and Ryan Corner wind farms. The new project manager will be Adam Proctor from TME Australia.

Once the planning panel produces a report, a decision on the Hawkesdale wind farm will be made Victorian Planning Minister, Justin Madden. The 31 turbines will be set on seven properties across 2280 hectares. They are primarily along the Penshurst- Warrnambool Rd four kilometres south of Hawkesdale, and along the Woolsthorpe-Heywood Rd.

Moyne Shire's January meeting backed the $145 million wind farm - but wanted a 500-metre setback from two objectors' properties rather than the 150-metre setback originally proposed. A 500-metre setback would affect six of the 31 turbines. Gamesa had planned to talk to the two neighbouring objectors to see whether the six turbines could be sited elsewhere on the wind farm, but this will now be the task of TME Australia.