Planned wind farm in Austrailia is in the wind

An Adelaide company is planning to build an 18 to 22-turbine wind farm at Naroghid, near Cobden, but the public has only a few days in which to comment on the first phase of approvals. Although the project has been on the cards for some time, seeing it on public exhibition so soon was a surprise, Corangamite Shire planning and environment manager Sophie Segafredo said yesterday. Ms Segafredo said she came across it when scanning the Federal Department of Environment and Heritage website. The shire is yet to develop its official stance.

If the developers, Naroghid Wind Farm Pty Ltd, gain approval under the federal process a state or local government planning process will follow, including further consultation. The wind farm is proposed to be less than 1km square in size and be made up of three-bladed turbines between 105m and 125m high. The earmarked site is dairy farming land near the Naroghid landfill, about 45km north-east of Warrnambool. If approved, construction could begin in the second half of next year and continue for 12 to 14 months.

Ms Segafredo stressed the community had until next Wednesday to provide input. She said the shire would be hard-pressed to get a detailed submission in on time. "We're encouraging people to give us their feedback - to bring to council's attention things they're concerned about. We can assist in bring forward community views. "It will go through detailed planning assessments over the next six to 12 months and there will be plenty of opportunities for people to get information and have an input." She said the proposed development would offset up to 279,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases a year.