Category: Penshurst wind farm

community support for windfarms, Keppel Prince, Liberal Party, Napthine Government, Penshurst wind farm, Pollie Watch, Portland, The Coalition, Wind Farm Benefits, wind farms1 Comment

Pollie Watch: Napthine, Hodgett encourage local procurement

Leigh Ewbank

1_729wind-620x349Victorian Premier Denis Napthine and manufacturing minister David Hodgett have gone into bat for Victoria’s wind turbine tower makers.

The Premier and minister have called on RES Australia, the proponent of a 223 turbine wind farm at Penshurst, to consider locally-made towers from Portland’s Keppel Prince Engineering.

“One of the things I’m looking to do is contact RES and urge them to look at local production of towers,” Premier Napthine told The Standard. “The wind industry needs the support of the community to have a strong, viable future,” said Dr Napthine. “The best way they can do to encourage community support is to … use local wind towers, they should use local components wherever possible.”

On this issue, Friends of the Earth are in agreement with the Premier. Continue reading “Pollie Watch: Napthine, Hodgett encourage local procurement”

Australian Environment Foundation, Hamilton, Landscape Guardians, Penshurst wind farm, Portland, Victorian Coalition, Waubra Foundation, wind farms & health7 Comments

Let’s have a real discussion, not orchestrated rallies against wind farms

Ben Courtice

Last week’s anti-windfarm meeting at Penshurst made a minor stir in the news after renewable energy advocate Matt Wright, from Beyond Zero Emissions, was able to grab the floor of the meeting to briefly respond to the stacked anti-windfarm panel. … Continue reading Let’s have a real discussion, not orchestrated rallies against wind farms

Friends of the Earth, health impacts, Penshurst wind farm, Victorian Coalition, Waubra Foundation, wind farm panic, wind farms & health6 Comments

Anti wind campaign spreading unfounded anxiety

Ben Courtice

Friends of the Earth media release, May 31 2012 Residents at Penshurst in South-West Victoria will today have the chance to examine the arguments put forward against wind farm developments by the prominent anti-windfarm campaigner, Sarah Laurie. Laurie bases her arguments on the notion that low-frequency noise and inaudible infrasound is causing a wide range of serious health problems, an idea that runs counter to current scientific understandings of how sound interacts with the human body. While Laurie will no doubt name many studies that she says support her position, anyone who has heard her arguments would be well advised … Continue reading Anti wind campaign spreading unfounded anxiety

Australian Environment Foundation, Clean Energy Council, Hamilton, health impacts, Penshurst wind farm2 Comments

Call for wind farm moratorium

Ben Courtice

The following article comes from the Hamilton Spectator. The (misleadingly named) Australian Environment Foundation are calling for a complete stop to wind farm development until the Senate Inquiry’s recommended health study has taken place. We support such a study going ahead, but we have to note that there has so far been no peer-reviewed evidence anywhere to link wind farms with direct health effects. The $2.5 million set aside in the Victorian state budget to identify “no-go” regions for wind farms would have been much better directed to such a health study which might help to clear the air in … Continue reading Call for wind farm moratorium

Penshurst wind farm, renewable energy, victoria, Victorian Coalition, wind farms1 Comment

Wind farm warned over Coalition policy on set back from houses

Cam Walker

From the ABC. Wind farm warned to change setback The proponent of a 220-turbine wind farm near Penshurst in south-west Victoria does not know if it will have to comply with new minimum setback distances. The Victorian Coalition’s election wind farm policy required turbines to be at least two kilometres away from houses. Opponents of the Penshurst wind farm say the current designs show shorter setback distances. The developer for the proponent, RES Australia, Simon Kerrison, says the designs meet the current planning guidelines. “As far as we’re aware, that two kilometre policy hasn’t come into effect yet, so our … Continue reading Wind farm warned over Coalition policy on set back from houses