Media release August 29 2011

Friends of the Earth



New wind farm rules will stifle rural development and slow shift to clean energy

Restrictive new planning rules introduced today by the Baillieu Government place large parts of Victoria ‘off-limits’ for wind farm developments.

“These arbitrary, draconian restrictions will cost Victoria billions of dollars and thousands of jobs,” said Friends of the Earth campaign coordinator Cam Walker.

“At a time when we urgently need to generate more clean energy, this policy is sending us back to the dark ages.”

“These strict planning restrictions do not apply to any other major developments, and make it easier to build a coal mine in rural Victoria than a wind farm,” he said.

The changes announced today create wind farm ‘no-go’ zones in large areas including the Mornington Peninsula, Macedon and Yarra Ranges and Wilsons Promontory.

The Government has formalised the set-back policy banning wind farms within two kilometres of houses, and added an extra, unexpected restriction blocking the construction of wind farms within five kilometres of major regional centres.

The Baillieu government recently gave a sustainability award to leading community windfarm operators Hepburn Wind, but these new rules will probably kill off any further community wind farm proposals.

“This decision, intended to appease a handful of anti-wind farm advocates, will play out badly for the government.

“The majority of Victorians want action on climate change and understand that we must speed up our transition to low carbon energy sources like wind.

“This policy will send investment and jobs interstate, and rural councils and landowners will miss out on the substantial income that comes with the development of wind farms”.

“While the government acts against further wind development, it turns a blind eye to the growing threat of coal seam gas (CSG) and new coal mining operations.

“This will not be well received in rural Victoria, and the government continues on this path – of favouring new and destructive fossil fuels over benign renewable energy – at its own peril” concluded Mr Walker.

Further comment: Cam Walker 0419 338 047