No Turbine Action Group concerned about St Patricks Wind Farm as Central Highlands Council prepares to make decision

The opponents of a proposed wind farm say requests for ‘procedural fairness have not been answered’, as a council prepares vote on whether to approve it.

Epuron's proposed site for the St Patricks Plains Wind Farm in Tasmania's Central Highlands. Picture: SUPPLIED

A Tasmanian council is rushing through a controversial wind farm in the Central Highlands, according to a group that has been fighting the development for four years.

Greg Pullen from No Turbine Action Group said people who made a representation during the public consultation period received a 1200-page document prepared for the council by planners on Thursday, ahead of a special public meeting by the council on Tuesday at 10am.

“It’s indecent haste,” Mr Pullen said.

“They’ve decided to move on this very quickly.”

Mr Pullen said the group, formed in opposition to the wind farm, was concerned the two and a half business days given to prepare for the special meeting was not enough and questioned whether the councillors had enough time to fully consider the proposal.

“Our requests for an extension of time as a matter of procedural fairness have not been answered,” Mr Pullen said.

Members of the No Turbine Action Group protesting against the St Patricks Plains Wind Farm. Picture: Supplied.

The planning assessment by Red Seal Urban & Regional Planning found no grounds for the Central Highlands Council, in its capacity as the planning authority, to refuse the development.

When asked by the Mercury, Central Highlands Mayor Loueen Triffitt declined to comment on whether she thought the wind farm planning process had been rushed or how long the councillors had had the planning assessment documents.

“The meeting will be conducted at the Bothwell Town Hall in person. It will not be available to live stream,” Ms Triffitt said.

“The special meeting will be recorded, and the audio recording will be made available on the council website.”

Loueen Triffitt. Image: Central Highlands Council.

The project area is about 10km southeast of Miena and 25km north of Bothwell.

The development includes 47 wind turbine generators and ancillary support infrastructure across 23 land parcels.

Earlier in July, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) gave the green light on the project.

EPA Board Chair Andrew Paul, said the wind farm could be managed in an environmentally sustainable manner with conditions that would need to be included in any permit granted by the Central Highlands Council.

Five terrestrial species are present at the project site listed under either the Threatened Species Act or the federal Environment and Protected Species Act, including the Tasmanian devil and both spotted-tail and eastern quolls.

The project site is also known to support the threatened Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle, white-bellied sea eagle, and a host of other avifauna species.

During the EPA public exhibition period, 160 submissions were received, with 141 against the development.