Gippsland communities fight planned wind farm with turbines like Rialto
Rural communities in Gippsland argue a proposed wind farm — featuring turbines as tall as the Rialto Tower — is too close to populated areas, but there is another reason they’re opposed to the plan.
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A wind farm of 35 turbines each as tall as the Rialto Tower has been proposed for a pine plantation in Gippsland.
The plan, by renewable energy company OSMI, has sparked widespread concern among rural communities who face living in the shadows of the turbines in the Strzelecki Ranges between the towns of Narracan, Yinnar and Boolara.
The $340 million Delburn wind farm, if approved, would have 250m-high turbines — among the tallest in Australia.
The Strzelecki Community Alliance said the development proposal was inappropriate because it was near a populated area and a fire risk.
If a fire broke out in the plantation, aerial water bombers would be excluded from the area because of the high turbines, alliance secretary Sindy Van Eede said.
“About 180 homes are within 2km of a turbine,” Ms Van Eede said.
“Wind farms are usually on open grassland or agricultural areas, not in a pine plantation which has a history of being the location of fires.”
Families are also concerned about low-level frequencies and noise from the blade rotations.
OSMI is still about nine months away from submitting plans to three councils which cover the site. Further approvals would be needed at state level and ultimately the planning minister.
The company has had several consultation sessions in towns near the plantation.
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OSMI director Peter Marriott said his company was working to meet community concerns.
“People have the right to be sceptical at this stage but we hope to bring communities along with us,” he said.
Fire risks were being assessed by experts, Mr Marriott said.
Large cost efficiencies could be gained by setting up near the Latrobe Valley because of existing generating infrastructure, he said.
The nearby Hazelwood coal-powered station was decommissioned in 2017. The state government has set a target of 50 per cent renewable energies by 2030.
“It’s not replacing coal,” Mr Marriott said.
The project would generate about 620,000 MWh of electricity a year, the equivalent of powering up to 125,000 homes for a year.
Depending on approvals, the company aimed to start a two-year construction by 2021.