Controversial wind farm decision delayed until August

The Robbins Island wind farm is one of many longstanding environment approvals now on the new environment minister’s desk. The department has just made its first call on the project since Murray Watts’ appointment.

Robbins Island, far northwest Tasmania, where there are plans for a 100-turbine wind farm. Credit: Bob Brown Foundation.

A decision on the controversial Robbins Island Wind Farm is now due in August after another delay from the federal environment department.

Federal Environment minister Murray Watt was due to make a decision on the project on June 27 after the department extended the time in which a decision was to be made for the sixth time.

Environment Minister Murray Watt in the Lamington National Park in Queensland. Picture: Supplied

The $1.6 billion project needs Commonwealth approval under the environment and biodiversity protection act due to potential impacts on the orange-bellied parrot, wedge-tailed eagles, sea eagles, migratory shorebirds and the last remaining facial tumour disease free population of Tasmanian devils.

A large flock of migratory shorebirds over Robbins Island, northwest Tasmania. Picture: A Darby, BirdLife Tasmania.

Mr Watts now has until August 29 to make a decision whether to approve the project or not.

The wind farm was first approved by the Tasmanian Environment Protection Agency with a condition to shutdown the turbines for five-months of the year during Orange-Bellied Parrot migration.

The proponents, ACEN, said this would make the project commercially unviable and appealed the condition, which was overturned by the Tasmanian Civil & Administrative Tribunal.

Community group’s appeals of the approval due to environmental and Aboriginal heritage impacts were dismissed by TasCAT and the Circular Head Council gave its approval for the project.

Since then the decision was sitting with then environment minister Tanya Plibersek, while the time she had to make the decision was extended six times.

The wind farm is one of several high profile Tasmanian EPBC act decisions now due to be made by Mr Watts including a long contested tailings dam for the MMG mine at Rosebery.

Originally published as Controversial wind farm decision delayed until August