Frustration at legal challenge set to further delay Golden Plains wind farm project
A Rokewood community group has slammed “another baseless legal action” set to further delay construction of a $2bn green energy project, with a Supreme Court date set for June.
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The community where the southern hemisphere’s largest wind farm is due to be built has come out in support of the $2bn project and said it is being held up by “baseless” legal action.
The Golden Plains wind farm, due to be built 70km northwest of Geelong at Rokewood, is predicted to power 750,000 homes and is key to the state government’s legislated renewable energy production target of 40 per cent by 2025.
But the lawyer for a farmer and two Rokewood residents who are taking on the wind farm’s developer, Westwind Energy, and the state government in the Supreme Court says the environmental impacts of the 215-turbine wind farm are yet to be properly assessed.
Lawyer for the group, Dominica Tannock, said the legal action was not baseless.
“Under Victoria’s Civil Procedure Act, as the solicitor for the plaintiffs, I was required to certify to the court at the commencement of the litigation that there is a proper basis to the legal action, and have done so,” Ms Tannock said.
“Two of the three plaintiffs in the current litigation are direct neighbours, Russell Coad and Adam Walton.
“The Walton and Coad families live in the community. My clients have a long history with the local community and are deeply committed to its future and want only the best for the community.
“In the current litigation, one of the declarations that the plaintiffs seek is that WestWind is permitted to install a maximum of 181 turbines at Golden Plains Wind Farm.”
Farmer and brolga enthusiast Hamish Cumming, who doesn’t live near the Golden Plains wind farm site, is leading the legal action against the wind farm with a trial expected in June.
It is the fourth time he has taken legal action against Westwind and the state government.
In an open letter a group of Rokewood community members said “families and businesses” supported the wind farm and wanted it to go ahead as planned without further delay.
“The wind farm has been stalled yet again by another baseless legal action being led by a complainant that lives 80km away from our town, which could delay construction by up to two years. This is unacceptable,” the open letter reads.
“The wind farm has undergone a rigorous Environment Effects Statement process and all environmental and planning concerns have been successfully addressed.
“The wind farm will create an estimated 700 jobs during construction and 70 direct jobs ongoing once completed.
Our regional community, like every other in Victoria, sorely need this investment and jobs as we recover from the past two years.”
More than 200 people have signed a petition supporting the wind farm.
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Originally published as Frustration at legal challenge set to further delay Golden Plains wind farm project
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