Antinuclear

Victorian farmers part-owners in Wimmera’s new wind farm

hopes Coonooer Bridge will be the first of many other small projects involving groups of farmers.

Coonooer Bridge locals win with wind farm  http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2013/08/16/579559_national-news.html  16 Aug 13,  THESE new turbines will help the locals, writes CHRIS McLENNAN To call them mountains would be a stretch: the highest peak on the Yawong Hills rises only to 434 metres.

This formerly unremarkable sheep-grazing country is suddenly hot property.

Wind whistles across the Wimmera plains. The inland side of the Great Divide has nothing to block this steady breeze which is forced up and over this low range at Coonooer Bridge between Charlton and St Arnaud.

Scientists have studied this phenomenon for years and find the average wind speeds of more than eight metres a second amount to some of the best renewable energy resources in the world. Far from the Roaring Forties of Australia’s southern coast, where wind farms jostle for space in western Victoria, the search for green energy has found a new home.

The first wind farm to pass Victoria’s myriad planning obstacles for two years has just won approval at Coonooer Bridge. There are only five turbines, but they are the first in Australia to be part-owned by the neighbouring farmers through Windlab.

Spanish wind farm operator Acciona wants to tap the same steady winds just a few kilometres away with a $150 million project and 23 turbines.

Wind provides about 3 per cent of Australia’s power but is the cheapest renewable, and is well in front of solar.

Hydro, though the Snowy Mountains and Tasmania, provides 58 per cent of all green power. Wind comes next with 26 per cent and then solar with 8 per cent. Victoria has 454 wind turbines (greater than 100kW in capacity) and 196 more turbines are under construction, expected to be fully commissioned between now and 2015.

Neil and Dianne Gadsden occupy a mansion near the highest “mountain” peak of the Yawongs and have learnt to deal with the wind.

“It is a very windy place, they just roar up here from the plains,” Neil said.

The couple have signed up along with 30 other “shareholders” in the Australian-owned Windlab wind farm.

Windlab will retain the bulk of the profits from eventual electricity sales, but it has devised the first ever sharing scheme for the five turbines.

Central to the project is a community fund.

“We are losing everything in country areas,” Neil said.

“People want to pay for our wind and we hope to use that to our advantage and do things to keep the community alive.”

The turbines will be just across the hill from the Gadsdens on treeless rises owned by long-serving local councillor Peter Watts.

His home will be less than 2km from one of the turbines, in breach of the Victorian Government’s rules, but he has readily signed a waiver.

“I don’t worry about them too much from a health point of view. I think we’ll be fine.

“I think after a few years we won’t see them at all, they’ll be part of the landscape.”

Neighbouring farmer Bevan Olive is also a shareholder in the wind farm. “I am not in love with them at all and I worry we are going to ruin these hills which have been passed down to us.

“It is not the money side of it, it won’t make much for us, and I’m not worried about the health side of things either.

“But the community is really struggling and this is something that could really help us.”

Bevan hopes small amounts will be available to maintain local halls and fire stations.

“Voluntary groups in small communities are all vying for the same dollar.”

Buloke Shire Council approved the Coonooer Bridge wind farm last month. Project director Luke Osborne said the project was now waiting on a power contract to be agreed on, hopefully once the federal election is out of the way, and the turbines would be installed within a year.

He hopes Coonooer Bridge will be the first of many other small projects involving groups of farmers.

“You can resolve so many of the problems if you can get people together early, just like this one, and both they and their community will get something out of it.”

August 17, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Victoria, wind