Ballarat Courier
18/01/2008 Page: 4
CONSTRUCTION of wind farms at Stockyard Hill and Mt Mercer is hoped to begin late this year. Wind Power, who is planning wind farms at Stockyard Hill, Smeaton and Lexton, will focus on its Stockyard Hill proposal this year. A scientific study is currently being carried out before the results are passed onto the community. Wind Power community consultation officer Ross Richards said the study's outcome was expected in a few months.
Plans for Tuki Wind Farm at Smeaton also caused a stir last year, and Mr Richards said Wind Power was still gathering data and seeking legal advice over the Significant Landscape Overlay currently in place. As with any project, there's supporters and opponents, but we expect to see something happening with that proposal within the next six months," he said. Mr Richards said developments on the Lexton Wind Farm would begin in the next few months, but it was not the company's top priority at present.
"We've got a few projects on the go, and we'll be concentrating on those... Stockyard Hill's going to be a sizeable project, one which will keep us busy." WestWind Energy hopes plans for its 64-turbine wind farm at Mount Mercer will see the first sod turned late this year.
Project manager Grant Flynn said Powercor Australia had been selected as the preferred contractor for the balance of the plant, and currently soil tests were being done as part of the analysis. "We're quite keen to formalise things at Mount Mercer, sign the contracts, see local businesses involved and turn the first sod before the end of the year," Mr Flynn said.
It will have been a long process to get to that point, it's been five or more years, so it will be a major milestone." Meanwhile, the company is yet to put in its planning application for the Lal Lal Wind Farm, and expects it to occur around April.
0 comments:
Post a Comment