Feds: Environment Minister rejects another windfarm proposal

AAP General News (Australia)
04-25-2006
Feds: Environment Minister rejects another windfarm proposal

PERTH, April 25 AAP - Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell has weighed in to community
debate on another wind farm project, rejecting calls to fund a scheme in Western Australia.

Senator Campbell said a plan to build turbines on the coast near Denmark, 415km south
of Perth, should not proceed until a national code was established.

"I think if we want to have a low carbon future with a lot of renewable power, we need
to find a way to ensure that community concerns about visual impacts, about impacts on
unique bits of coastline are assuaged," Senator Campbell told the ABC today.

"That's why I'm saying we need a national code - so community opinion can be taken into account."

Denmark Shire Council last year rejected a town planning scheme amendment to allow
four to six turbines to be built, but the state government has given the project planning
approval, saying the environmental benefits are worthwhile.

WA Planning Minister Alannah MacTiernan says the proposal could still proceed without
federal funding.

"If the bar is going to be set so wherever there is any opposition to wind farms there
won't be any wind farms, then no projects would get up at all," Ms MacTiernan said today.

Senator Campbell last month prevented a $220 million wind farm project proceeding in
south Gippsland in Victoria on the ground that one endangered orange-bellied parrot may
die a year.

There had been no reported sightings of the bird within 10 kilometres of the proposed site.

AAP jp/evt/de

KEYWORD: WINDFARM

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