Energy on the wind

Moorabool Leader
Tuesday 24/4/2007 Page: 3

IF you want to know what the proposed wind farms at Elaine and Yendon will look like, keep your eye on Mt Mercer. WestWind Energy's first Australian project was given State Government approval this month, and the company said it would be on a similar scale to sites proposed at Elaine and Yendon.

Planning manager Tobi Geiger said the State Government preferred the two Moorabool sites be treated as one entity and this had been dubbed the "Lal Lal Project". The Fisken Hill section will have up to 50 turbines, while there will be 29 at Elaine.

"The plans could change a lot. We've gone public about this very early so we can let people know what's happening, but it is a catch22 because at the start of these projects, you don't have a lot of detail. "The turbine locations could be moved or removed - depending on studies and what the community wants." Under the current proposal, the maximum blade-tip height will be 150m or less. Turbines will be mounted on 80 to 100m towers.

WestWind began doorknocking homes within 3km of both sites in December and ran the first of several planned information days at Lal Lal hall last week.

The company has measured winds up to 120km/h at Mt Mercer - where 64 turbines will be installed - and Mr Geiger said Australia had windier sites, but an effective project had to be close to major manufacturing centres such as Ballarat. It also had to be close to existing electrical infrastructure and the Lal Lal project was not far from a major terminal at Warrenheip, a large line passing through Fisken Hill to power Lal Lal Reservoir and an easement it could share along the Midland Highway with the Geelong-Ballarat power line.

The two sites are expected to cost $250 million to $300 million. "With 70 to 80 turbines in the Lal Lal project, it could power something two or three times the size of Ballarat," Mr Geiger said.