Statement on Delburn wind farm
“It seems incredible to me that just days after a significant Supreme Court decision in the Bald Hills wind farm case that the Minister could sign off on the proposed Delburn project.
“Clearly the Government has not had time to consider the Bald Hills decision, or if it has, it has completely ignored the well-founded concerns of local residents, backed by the Court.
“Even the Government’s own planning panel acknowledged that the Delburn proposal was different to many other wind farms as the first major proposal in a plantation environment that is bushfire prone, the relatively dense population with 1,267 homes within 5km of the nearest turbine and the significant scale at 250 metres tall to blade tip.
“Those 250 metre tall turbines contrast with the light towers of the MCG which are approximately 80 metres high.
“That scale is enormous in an area of many lifestyle properties and close to small towns like Yinnar and Boolarra.
“I think there is a strong role for renewable energy in our future, but wind farms onshore in relatively densely populated areas of Gippsland are not appropriate.
“We should be backing more efficient offshore wind farms such as Star of the South and not approving these divisive onshore proposals.”