Today marks the launch of a first-of-a-kind alliance in support of wind energy in Victoria. The Victorian Wind Alliance brings together community members, land owners, environment groups, wind workers, small businesses, wind farmers and renewable energy firms to present the benefits of wind farms for jobs, investment community development and our climate (an under-reported story in the media). Friends of the Earth are proud to be a member of Vic Wind.

The Vic Wind Alliance will help project the public’s strong support for wind energy, which remains highly popular despite anti-wind hysteria. Polls commissioned by the Climate Institute and the Clean Energy Council register majority support for wind energy at 75 per cent and greater. A credible CSIRO study on the perceptions of wind energy in regional areas concluded: ‘There is strong  community support for the development of wind farms…” The alliance has plenty of good will to work with.

Here’s the Victorian Wind Alliance’s maiden media release: 

The Victorian Wind Alliance was launched today, with organisers calling on Victorians who support wind energy to use town meetings and social media to make their voices heard.

Victorian Wind Alliance member, Taryn Lane of Hepburn Wind, said, ‘The Victorian Wind Alliance is being formed in response to a call from communities across the state who support more wind energy.

‘The Victorian Wind Alliance will help communities come together in town meetings and via mainstream and social media, to discuss how Victoria can catch up with wind industry’s rapid progress around the world.

‘We welcome the active involvement of all sectors of the community: small business, farmers, community and environmental groups, anyone who wants to see a thriving wind industry in Victoria’ said Ms Lane.

The Victorian Wind Alliance will be run by an Organising Committee of 8 people from across Victoria but is aimed at bringing together the many hundreds of thousands of people across the state who support wind energy.

Cam Walker from Friends of the Earth, who is also a Victorian Wind Alliance member said, ‘The founding members of the Victorian Wind Alliance are individuals from across Victoria, including Portland, Ballarat, Castlemaine and Melbourne.

‘Polling consistently shows that Victorians don’t want miss out on the jobs, clean energy, rural incomes and other community benefits that are generated by wind energy.

‘There is a strong network of individuals and organisations who support wind across the state. This public launch will start to bring them together under the umbrella of the Victorian Wind Alliance. We invite the broader community to visit our website and sign on to a statement of support for wind, and promote the alliance at country meetings, community events and by using social media.’

The first formal Vic Wind event will be held in Portland in the coming week. Details coming soon.

The Victorian Wind Alliance is on Twitter as @VicWindAll and can be contacted at info@vicwind.info. People are encouraged to join for free at the Vic Wind Alliance website, www.vicwind.info