Antinuclear

Tough new guidelines for New South Wales wind farms

Tilting against windmills? Industry doubts NSW support for wind farms, SMH, Peter Hannam, 28 July 16  New wind farm guidelines are expected to impose tough requirements on developers to limit their visual impact in a move that proponents say will put NSW at a disadvantage to other states.

The proposed guidelines, requiring developers to prepare visual impact assessments according to the height of turbines, were disclosed by the planning department to a select group of prospective wind energy developers on the sidelines of a two-day clean energy summit in Sydney on Thursday.

Fairfax Media understands proponents were told a sliding rule would apply, with the tallest wind turbines – reaching as much as 200 metres at the full extent of the blade tips from the ground – required to be located no closer than 2.7 kilometres from the nearest dwelling.

Visual amenity surveys would have to take into account factors such as the dwelling’s orientation and whether there were screening hills or woodlands between it and the turbine towers……

The guidelines were expected to be made public in coming weeks and would be open for public comment. Some wind farms have taken more than 2000 days to be assessed.

Another developer, who also requested anonymity, said states such as Victoria – which last month set a 40 per cent renewable energy by 2025 – “want as much renewable energy built as absolutely possible”.

The person said the visual assessment plan was “trying to quantify the un-quantifiable”. Would it matter if just the extreme edge of the blades were visible over a hill, or half a turbine, the person asked.

“Why are they doing it? It’s going to make it harder for wind farms to get approved, and opponents are not going to be satisfied.”…….

Adam Searle, Labor’s energy spokesman, said NSW was “losing out in the race for investments”.

“The trouble is one side of politics is riddled with sceptics about climate change and renewable energy, and so they’re just not equipped to give that stability and certainty [needed for investors],” he said…… http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/tilting-against-windmills-industry-doubts-nsw-support-for-wind-farms-20160728-gqfhmp.html

July 29, 2016 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | New South Wales, wind