Hobart Mercury
Saturday 26/6/2010 Page: 13
TASMANIA'S biggest wind farm has moved a step closer to construction with US power company NP Power starting the public consultation phase of its $500 million proposal. The Cattle Hill wind farm, near Lake Echo in the central highlands, will be the first privately owned wind farm in the state. It will generate enough electricity to power 60.000 homes through 100 turbines, which will feed power into the Tasmanian grid through Waddamana power station. The NP Power proposal comes as Tasmania watches other private investments stall or slip away.
Gunns Limited's proposed pulp mill is still not financed, development on the Musselroe wind farm has stalled and canal developments like Walker Corporation's Ralphs Bay proposal are out of favour and off the drawing board. The Tasmanian public has 42 days to comment on the proposal. "We expect the public consultation process to bring out some issues, but are confident they're either concerns that we've already mitigated or something we can take care of fairly quickly." NP Power's Shane Bartel said yesterday.
TCCI chief executive Robert Wallace said the US power company's investment was welcome and needed. "We certainly encourage private investment in this state, particularly in the area of renewable energy," Mr Wallace said yesterday. NP Power hopes to get Tasmanian Government approval for its Central Highlands development by the end of the year. The wind farm, which will boast 125-metre high turbines, will take between 18 months and two years to build and up to 75 workers will be on site during construction.
The wind farm will then operate automatically with a staff of 10. NP Power said it recognised the wind farm's impact on the endangered Wedge-Tailed Eagle and other birds was a major concern. There are three known nests within the proposed wind farm area. One is active. No turbines will be placed within a 1km radius of any nests.
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