New wind farm plan to build turbines on sites at Yendon and Elaine

Ballarat Courier
Thursday 28/12/2006 Page: 1
By Danielle Perkins

ANOTHER wind farm for the Ballarat district is in the planning. Landowners and residents in the Yendon and Elaine areas have been visited by representatives of WestWind Energy, the company behind the Mt Mercer wind farm.

Planning and business development manager Tobias Geiger said the project would be split onto two sites - one on Lal Lal Estate at Yendon and the other near Elaine . He said the project, which would be similar in cost to Mt Mercer at $250 million, was in the early days.

"It is very new and what we have done so far is some computer modelling about the wind resource and also some environmental studies," he said. "And we've probably consulted or talked to most people in the vicinity of the proposal, which has involved doorknocking a couple of hundred houses. The vast majority of people we have spoken to have been very positive."

Lal Lal Estate farmer Geoff Fisken is one landowner who has been approached by WestWind. Mr Fisken said he was supportive of the project - both from financial and environmental points of view.

"I don't think I've ever been a person who didn't believe that wind power had a place in supplying power, in lessening the use of fossil fuels," he said. "And obviously there is a financial incentive for us that is important because the fact is we're in the middle of a drought.

"We are a farming operation and this is another way we can earn income - I think of it as farming the wind." Mr Fisken said WestWind was looking at utilising about 809 hectares of the 2023 hectare farm which he owns with his brother.

He said he believed neighbouring landowners were also supportive of the project. Mr Fisken said he no longer had concerns about the project. "With most of the concerns that I had, the company has been able to reassure me," he said. "It was mostly about the value of the land but they and the bank have told me that the turbines do not devalue your land.

"Obviously, like I say, the major consideration for us is our future viability and if we can earn a few more dollars off the farm, certainly that's a good thing. "It's a way of droughtproofing if you like, it gives us certainty of income." The two sites are expected to total between 3237 hectares and 4046 hectares in size and will be located 10 to 12 kilometres apart.

Mr Geiger said the company hoped to place 30 to 40 wind turbines near Yendon and a further 20 or 30 around Elaine . He said the farm would be similar in size to Mt Mercer, producing enough energy to power 78,000 houses.

Mr Geiger said more studies would be conducted before consulting with the planning niinster. He said the company would use local contractors and believed a second wind farm in the district would benefit both WestWind and local businesses.