Denmark Bulletin
Thursday 8/3/2007 Page: 12
Craig Chappelle, chairman
THE community's windfarm project remains on target, even though progress has been slow recently. The DCW committee continues to meet regularly and put in many voluntary hours, but the finish-line has been pushed further out. Our application for $1.2million federal edge of grid' funding, to take the project into its implementation phase has to go to Canberra for final approval.
With a new federal environment minister we expect the project to be freshly viewed for the benefits it offers, and the community support it is attracting (we now have nearly 300 members). However, it could be May before we know the result. Our planning application, which went to the State Government in January, could take up to 12 months to process.
Another unforeseen event was the revelation in December that there is not enough electricity available to supply the growing demand in Denmark and Walpole. Western Power will implement a series of network upgrades over the next five years, which could affect the size of the windfarm project, so we are keeping a close eye on progress. Meanwhile, we expect to have an access agreement with Western Power signed off within the next couple of months.
We anticipate that the blades will begin turning early in 2009 - a year later than everyone had hoped, and due in no small part to an 18-24 month waiting list for turbines, thanks to the worldwide demand for wind energy.
There is a website well worth visiting that demolishes the arguments commonly put by climate-change sceptics: http://gristmill.grist.org/skeptics
To join DCW, or learn more about the project, phone DCW secretary Cheryl Reid on 9840 9002 or visit our website, www.dcw.org.au
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