Wind farm commissioner insists he's good value for taxpayers The price of the part-time wind farm commissioner created by the former Abbott government is three times more than first thought, costing taxpayers more than $2 million to monitor and investigate complaints against the wind industry. It has also emerged that the Independent Scientific Committee on Wind Turbines, which advises the government on potential health and environmental effects of the industry, has held just two short teleconferences in five months and provided no advice, despite costing up to $174,000 a year. The hefty bill has fuelled criticism over the commissioner and committee, which Environment Minister Greg Hunt agreed to establish as part of crossbench negotiations to pass the government's revised Renewable Energy Target. Senators John Madigan and David Leyonhjelm were the key proponents of the policy. Critics said the measures were a bid to thwart the roll-out of clean energy under Mr Abbott, who had called wind farms "visually awful". Former treasurer Joe Hockey also decried them as "utterly offensive". As Fairfax Media reported last year, the part-time National Wind Farm Commissioner Andrew Dyer will be paid $205,000 annually over three years to monitor the wind industry and respond to community complaints about turbine noise and health effects. However this sum is just a small proportion of the cost of establishing the role. Official figures provided to a Senate committee show the wind farm commissioner's office is expected to cost $2.03 million over four years, including $680,000 in 2017-18. This cost includes travel, IT, office accommodation and four staff as well as Mr Dyer's part-time salary, which is more than an average full-time federal backbencher. In an interview with Fairfax Media last month, Mr Dyer said he was carrying "a very big load", saying: "You're driving your car. You're are looking at maps. You're with wind farms and residents all day. You're getting back to your motel, and they're not salubrious out in the bush." The Department of the Environment's accommodation guidelines recommend four-star equivalent accommodation be booked, taking into account costs, location and availability. As of February 8 this year, more than one-third of the complaints received by the commissioner's office related to wind farms not yet built. The figures also show the independent scientific committee is expected to cost $507,000 over four years, comprising administered and departmental expenses. Late in March the Department of the Environment told Fairfax Media the committee had held "two short meetings" in December and February and "has not provided any advice to government at this stage". The meetings were held by teleconference or videoconference, and the committee is expected to meet about every two months. Announcing the committee last October, Mr Hunt said it would "build on the work of the National Health and Medical Research Council". Reviews by a number of state and federal government health bodies including the NHMRC have so far found no clear evidence of a link between wind farms and medical conditions. The Australian Medical Association last year released a statement saying the available evidence did not support the concept that wind farm noise harmed humans. Labor's environment spokesman Mark Butler said it did not support the commissioner's appointment and "it is ridiculous that the Turnbull Liberal government will waste money on this commissioner, but is happy to rip money out of the renewable energy sector". A spokesman for Mr Hunt accused Labor of ignoring an NHMRC recommendation for further research into wind farms. He said the crossbench deal to establish the commissioner "allowed for us to fix the Renewable Energy Target and give Australia's renewable energy sector certainty for the future". "We recognise that many people in rural communities have deeply held concerns and, in some cases, are deeply anxious and stressed by the issue. They deserve to have their issues considered. By contrast, Labor sneers at many rural communities," he said. Follow us on Twitter

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