Australia - Giant Wind Farm

Victoria's most powerful wind farm, which will be capable of running more than 130,000 homes a year, will be built near Colac. The 116-turbine project by German company Pro Ventum is yet another jewel in south-west Victoria's green energy crown, following the recent approval of a 21-turbine farm at Naroghid. Other proposed wind developments for the south-west include 183 turbines at Macarthur, 68 turbines near Port Fairy, 31 turbines at Hawkesdale and 15 turbines near Port Campbell. Victoria's Planning Minister Rob Hulls yesterday announced planning approval for the Mount Gellibrand project, a massive farm nestled between Beeac and Birregurra.

The turbines will be constructed across 2550 hectares or 33 properties owned by eight landowners. “This $380 million, 232-megawatt project will generate more power than any other wind farm in Victoria,'' Mr Hulls said. He said the development was expected to create between 110 and 120 jobs during construction and 20 to 25 full-time positions once up and operating. Colac Otway Shire Mayor Warren Riches yesterday said the shire and landowners had been waiting for an announcement by the Government on the project's future. “My reaction would be it is a good, new project that will have significant benefit for the Colac Otway Shire. Once it's complete it will be another attraction.''

He said the farm would be visible from the Hamilton and Princes highways and was probably the closest wind energy development to Melbourne. “It's definitely the closest one to Geelong and will create a lot of attention.'' He said the shire had been waiting about a year for an announcement and wrote to Mr Hulls six weeks ago for an indication on the project so farmers and the community could plan for the future. Cr Riches said the wind farm was set on broadacre farming land and nowhere near Mount Gellibrand in the Otways as some people thought. “It's very open windswept country and one place where it is probably the right place in the shire for a wind farm,'' Cr Riches said. Liberal member for Polwarth Terry Mulder said the project was not set in a sensitive area and would be an economic boost to Colac by creating jobs. “The position of the Liberal Party is to support wind farms if the community supports it,'' Mr Mulder said. “There doesn't seem to be any protest against it although I have some doubts about wind efficiency.'' Mr Mulder said the party did not support the Government's plan to pay alternative energy developers a subsidy funded by increased electricity costs. The Government's Victorian Renewable Energy Target wants energy retailers buying 10 per cent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2016.