Ballarat wind farm approved

Age
Friday 13/4/2007 Page: 2

THE State Government has approved another wind farm for Victoria - this time on a sheep fans near Ballarat. The 64-turbine facility will be built by WestWind Energy on a 2600-hectare property at Mt Mercer and is expected to generate power for more than 70,000 homes.

Planning Minister Justin Madden said the $250 million project would provide substantial economic benefits and slash 390,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Mt Mercer is the 11th Victorian site approved for wind fauns, with four now operating.

German-owned WestWind Energy has a proposal for a second wind farm north-east of Mt Mercer, which is still waiting for planning approval. The new wind farm is expected to play a key role in meeting the Government's Victorian Renewable Energy Target which requires energy retailers such as Origin Energy and TRUEnergy to purchase 10 per cent of power from renewable sources by 2016.

But the Government's "obsession" with wind farm technology has been criticised by Landscape Guardians spokesman Tim Le Roy, who said Victoria should be investing in geothermal energy.

A day after the Government announces a huge hike in electricity costs, they throw more of Victoria's money through the $2 billion wind subsidy program at an energy source that is proven to be unreliable and more expensive," Mr Le Roy said. About 30 houses are within a three-kilometre radius of the proposed wind farm and residents argue the sight and sound of the 100-metre-high turbines will significantly reduce their land values.