This release comes from the proponent, Acciona Energy.

ACCIONA Energy has announced it is proceeding with the Mortlake South Wind Farm in south west Victoria.

Andrew Thomson, ACCIONA Energy’s Director of Development, said “We are pleased to be proceeding with the next stages in the development of the Mortlake South Wind Farm”.

A planning permit was issued by the Minister for Planning in October 2010 for the Mortlake South Wind Farm at a site located 5 km south of Mortlake.

“Over the next 12 months, ACCIONA Energy will prepare a Development Plan for the Mortlake South Wind Farm as required under the planning permit”, Mr Thomson said.

“ACCIONA is committed to engaging with landowners, neighbours and the broader community to build effective relationships and ensure the success of the Mortlake South Wind Farm”, he said.

According to Mr Thomson, “The new wind farm rules introduced by the Victorian Government in March 2011 do not apply to the Mortlake South Wind Farm which was approved in 2010”.

“We can assure the community that the Mortlake South Wind Farm is subject to – and will meet – a range of stringent planning requirements which ensures it will not adversely impact the community or the local environment”.

“The estimated $200 million investment in the Mortlake South Wind Farm would provide more than 100 construction jobs and 14 ongoing jobs for the local and regional community and generate power for up to 41,000 homes with clean, renewable energy”.

“We anticipate that the Development Plan will be submitted to Moyne Shire Council in the second half of 2012”, said Mr Thomson.

The timelines for construction of the Mortlake South Wind Farm can not be confirmed until the Development Plan is approved and finance and other arrangements are in place, however it is anticipated that the construction period will extend over several years.

Andrew Thomson also announced that ACCIONA will not be proceeding any further with the proposed Mortlake East Wind Farm which was proposed at a site located approximately 9.5 kilometres east of Mortlake.

An independent Panel considered ACCIONA’s planning application for the proposed Mortlake East Wind Farm in 2010 but did not recommend a planning permit be issued due to the potential for the project to have an unacceptable impact on the Brolga population at the site.

“Since 2010, ACCIONA has undertaken further investigations into the Brolga population in the vicinity of the proposed Mortlake East site”.

“Based on these and other investigations, ACCIONA has concluded that the Mortlake East site does not meet the requirements for a viable wind farm and we will not be proceeding any further,” said Mr Thomson.