2011/21: Are the wind farm guidelines for Victoria and New South Wales too restrictive?
What they said...
'The economic impact in an area which depends on tourists is shattered by the intrusion on the landscape of 300-foot [90-metre] wind turbines'
Former television chef Peter Russell-Clarke
'So in NSW u can build a gas well within 200m of a home, or 5-8m of a future home, but a wind turbine should be 2km away. Go figure #nswpol'
A Twitter post cited to Max Phillips, a Marrickville Greens councillor
The issue at a glance
On August 29, 2011, the Victorian government released its new planning laws for wind farms. The recently-elected Baillieu government announced it was amending the previous planning laws to give Victorian households the power to veto wind turbines within two kilometres of their homes.
Turbines will also be banned in the Macedon and McHarg ranges, in the Yarra Valley, on the Mornington and Bellarine peninsulas, and within five kilometres of the Great Ocean Road and the Bass Coast. They will also be prohibited within five kilometres of 21 other Victorian regional centres
The state government has claimed that it still favours wind farm development and that it is only respecting the rights of property owners and ensuring balanced development. Opponents of the Victorian changes claimed they are a major impediment to wind farm development in the state, threaten jobs in this new sector and seriously undermine the state's claims to being environmentally aware and in favour of clean, renewable energy sources.
On December 23, 2011, the New South Wales government foreshadowed similar planning laws to those recently adopted in Victoria. The New South Wales government also announced that it remains committed to a 20 percent renewable energy target by 2020. Critics of the draft proposal argue that it makes the target impossible.
Background
(The 'international comparisons' data is drawn from a Wikipedia entry titled, 'Wind power in Australia'. The full text of this article can be read at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_Australia)
Wind farms and wind power in Australia
In April 2011 a Senate Community Affairs Committee report included the following overview of wind farms in Australia.
In 2009 there were 85 Australian wind farms, 57 of which were in Victoria, and 19 in each of South Australia and Western Australia. The capacity of all these installations amounted to 1703 MW. Production in South Australia is 48 percent of Australia's total wind-generated capacity. More wind farm developments have been approved by the various state authorities since 2009 and many more are planned.
According to an Australian Government study the wind energy industry has been the fastest growing renewable energy source, largely because it is a proven technology, and has relatively low operating costs and environmental impacts. Turbines are increasing in size and may be up to 150 metres in diameter or, as one witness expressed it, 'as high as from the flag on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the waterline'. Bigger turbines increase the swept area of the blades and proportionally increase the wind energy captured. These turbines need to be further from each other, with implications for the area needed for each farm. It has also been suggested that the increased size of modern wind turbines could potentially intensify any health problems related to noise and vibrations.
Planning and compliance issues for wind farms are matters for the state governments, although the states have devolved some of these responsibilities to local governments. Generally, proposals for wind farms of more than 30 MW capacity are dealt with by the responsible state government minister.
International comparisons
Australia's total wind generation capacity of 1,880 MW in 2010 is relatively low when compared to many other developed and developing nations. Australia ranks 15th globally behind leaders such as China with 44,733 MW, the US with 40,180 MW, Germany with 27,215 MW, Spain with 20,676 MW, and India with 13,066 MW.
In terms of installed capacity per head of population, Australia ranked 18th in the world in 2010, with 0.086 kW per person. This was only around one eighth of the capacity of world leader Denmark, which had 0.675 kW per person. Other leading nations were Spain with 0.442 kW per person, Portugal with 0.344 kW per person, and Germany with 0.334 kW per person. The top two countries in terms of total capacity, China and the US, only ranked 27th and 9th in terms of capacity per head, with 0.033 kW per person and 0.128 kW per person respectively.
While Australia produced almost 2% of its electricity from wind power, this is again relatively low in comparison to other countries. Denmark again topped this list, accounting for approximately 19% of electricity production, with Portugal at 18%, Spain at 16%, and Germany at 9%. Global leaders in terms of total capacity, China and the US, had contributions as a percentage of total electricity supply closer to that of Australia, with 1.2% and 2% respectively.
Internet information
On March 18, 2010, ABC Radio Ballarat ran an interview with Dr Nina Pierpont, a prominent United States advocate of Wind Turbine Syndrome. A full recording of this interview can be found at http://blogs.abc.net.au/victoria/2010/03/wind-turbine-syndrome-with-dr-nina-pierpont.html?site=ballarat&program=ballarat_mornings
In July, 2010, the National Health and Medical Research Council issued a public statement in relation to the health risks associated with wind turbines. It stated that there was to date no reliable evidence to suggest that these facilities posed a public health hazard.
The text of this statement can be found at http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/new0048_public_statement_wind_turbines_and_health.pdf
On July 5, 2011, Online Opinion, published an opinion piece by Max Rheese, the Executive Director of the Australian Environment Foundation (an anti-wind farm lobby group). The piece is titled 'Health and economics will unravel wind power'. It argues that cost and adverse health consequences will wind back wind power.
The full text of this opinion piece can be found at http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=12277&page=0
On July 25, 2011, the ABC's current affairs program, Four Corners, ran a program titled, 'Against the Wind' which investigated claims that wind farms are a health hazard. This is a detailed and comprehensive program. It rewards careful viewing. It can be accessed at http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/special_eds/20110725/wind/
On August 29, 2011, the Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development issued the new Policy and planning guidelines for development of wind energy facilities in Victoria. The full text of this document can be found at http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/77851/Policy-and-planning-guidelines-for-development-of-wind-energy-facilities-in-Victoria.pdf
On August 29, 2011, the Victorian Planning Minister, Matthew Guy, issued a media release announcing the new Victorian guidelines for the development of wind farms. The release is titled 'Coalition restores community's rights on wind farm planning' and can be accessed at http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/1826-coalition-restores-communitys-rights-on-wind-farm-planning.html
On August 30, 2011, Giles Parkinson, the editor of Climate Spectator, published an opinion piece arguing, in part, that the new Victorian wind farm regulations would see the virtual end of wind farm development in that state. The full text of the article can be found at http://www.climatespectator.com.au/commentary/have-we-blown-ret?utm_source=Climate%20Spectator&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=c02eb43d43-CSPEC_DAILY
On September 2, 2011, The Sydney Morning Herald published an opinion piece by Andrew Bray criticising the new Victorian wind farm regulations. The piece is titled 'New laws toss energy jobs to the wind'. Andrew Bray is an organiser for 100% Renewable Energy, a lobby group for wind farms and solar energy. The full text of the article can be found at http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/new-laws-toss-energy-jobs-to-the-wind-20110901-1jo2h.html
On September 7, 2011, The Conversation published an opinion piece co-authored by Lee Godden, Director of the Centre for Resources, Energy and Environmental Law at University of Melbourne and Anne Kallies PhD Scholar at University of Melbourne. The opinion piece is titled, 'Regulating wind farms out of Victoria' and it argues that the consequences of the new Victorian planning regulations will be to halt wind farm development in that state. The full text of the document can be found at http://theconversation.edu.au/regulating-wind-farms-out-of-victoria-3125
On September 20, 2011, The Telegraph published an opinion piece by Kane Thornton, the head of the Clean Energy Council, arguing for the advantages of wind farms as a source of clean power for Australia. The full text of the article can be found at http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/the-clean-energy-answer-is-blowing-in-the-wind/story-e6frezz0-1226141094302
On September 25, 2011, The Sydney Morning Herald published an opinion piece by Chris Berg, titled, 'Inside dirt on clean energy schemes: they don't work' Though the article does not refer to wind farms specifically, it treats in general terms the economic failures that many United States green energy companies have turned out to be. The full text of this article can be found at http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/inside-dirt-on-clean-energy-schemes-they-dont-work-20110924-1kqph.html
On November 13, 2011, the Wilderness Society issued a media release titled 'Backwards March: calls on Premier Baillieu to change direction on environment' The piece argues that many of the Victorian government's new policies (including that on wind farm regulations) are detrimental to the environment.
The full text of the media release can be found at http://www.wilderness.org.au/regions/victoria/backwards-march-calls-on-premier-baillieu-to-change-direction-on-environment
On November 28, 2011, The Warrnambool Standard published a news report detailing a Danish wind turbine manufacture's scepticism about the two kilometre buffer zone to be established for Victorian wind farms. The full text of this article can be found at http://www.standard.net.au/news/local/news/general/danish-energy-chief-questions-twokilometre-buffer-for-wind-turbines/2371406.aspx
On December 15, 2011, Reuters issued a news report detailing European Union claims that the cost of wind-generated power would ultimately be comparable to that of coal-generated power. The full text of this article can be found at http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/15/us-eu-energy-roadmap-idUSTRE7BE19T20111215
On December 19, 2011, The Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales issued a media release calling on all conservationist to lobby the government not to introduce guidelines unnecessarily restricting wind farm development. The full text of this document can be found at http://nccnsw.org.au/content/nsws-wind-power-future-hangs-balance-0
On December 20, 2011, The Sydney Morning Herald published an article titled 'Wind farm opponents "aided and abetted" by climate sceptic groups' which details the connections between climate change sceptics and those groups in New South Wales and Australia overall that opposed wind farms. The full text of this article can be found at http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/wind-farm-opponents-aided-and-abetted-by-climate-sceptic-groups-20111219-1p2l6.html
On December 21, 2011, The Sydney Morning Herald published an opinion piece by Simon Chapman, professor of public health at the University of Sydney. The comment, titled 'Much angst over wind turbines is just hot air' uses international findings to dispute claims that wind farms cause significant health issues for those living nearby. The full text of the article can be found at http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/much-angst-over-wind-turbines-is-just-hot-air-20111220-1p3sb.html
Released on December 23, 2011, the full draft of the New South Wales Planning Guidelines: Wind farms can be found at http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=5yeY6yw_wRE%3d&tabid=205&mid=1081&language=en-AU
A set of answers to anticipated questions about the guidelines was published simultaneously. This can be found at
http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=1pZGETp116w%3d&tabid=205&mid=1081&language=en-AU
On December 23, 2011, The Sydney Morning Herald published a news report detailing the proposed new wind farm regulations for New South Wales. The full text of this report can be found at http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/nsw-gets-worlds-toughest-wind-farm-rules-20111223-1p826.html
On December 23, 2011, ABC News published a report on the New South Wales draft wind farm regulations. This included comment from some interested stakeholders. It is available in print and audio at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-23/nsw-landowners-to-be-given-veto-on-windfarms/3745768
Arguments in favour of the new wind farm regulations in Victoria and New South Wales
1. It has been claimed that wind farms can be injurious to those who live near them
There have been many claims made by those living near wind farms of ill effects upon their health and wellbeing.
Nina Pierpont, a New York paediatrician and wife of an anti-wind energy activist, is one of the most prominent campaigners for the recognition of a set of symptoms referred to by some as Wind Turbine Syndrome. Dr Pierpont has testified before a number of United States hearings into the safety of wind turbines.
Dr Pierpont has stated, 'The symptoms start when local turbines go into operation and resolve when the turbines are off or when the person is out of the area. The symptoms include: Sleep problems: noise or physical sensations of pulsation or pressure make it hard to go to sleep and cause frequent awakening; headaches which are increased in frequency or severity; dizziness, unsteadiness, and nausea; exhaustion, anxiety, anger, irritability, and depression; problems with concentration and learning; and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).'
Dr Pierpont has argued, 'Not everyone near turbines has these symptoms. This does not mean people are making them up; it means there are differences among people in susceptibility. These differences are known as risk factors. Defining risk factors and the proportion of people who get symptoms is the role of epidemiologic studies. These studies are under way. Chronic sleep disturbance is the most common symptom. Exhaustion, mood problems, and problems with concentration and learning are natural outcomes of poor sleep.'
It has also been noted that many living near turbines find them aesthetically unpleasant and complain that they dominate the landscape. Relatedly concern has been expressed that they could adversely affect the tourist industry if they reduce the appeal of popular tourist spots.
Former television chef Peter Russell-Clarke, who has been campaigning against the development of a wind farm near Tooborac, north of Melbourne, said in a submission to a Senate committee investigating the effects of wind farms, 'The economic impact in an area which depends on tourists is shattered by the intrusion on the landscape of 300-foot [90-metre] wind turbines.'
2. The regulations protect the rights of those living near the site of proposed wind farms
The Victorian government claims it is acting on an election promise to safeguard the rights of local, regional communities and those individuals faced with the prospect of living near wind farms.
On August 29, 2011, the Victorian Planning Ministry issued a media release which stated, 'The Victorian Coalition Government has restored certainty and fairness to local communities across regional Victoria through wide reaching reforms to wind farm planning.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy ... announced that the Coalition Government had delivered on another election commitment through his approval of Amendment VC82, which reforms the way wind farms can be approved and prohibits a wind turbine being constructed within two kilometres of an existing dwelling unless there is written consent from the owner of the dwelling.'
Mr Guy indicated that without the written consent of the homeowner, turbine placement could not be approved.
Mr Guy stated, 'This is long standing Coalition policy. The Coalition Government committed to giving local communities a key role in deciding where wind farms will go, and restoring fairness and certainty to the planning process for wind farms...It is important that while wind energy develops, it does not do so to the detriment of rural and regional Victorians.'
The guidelines anticipated for New South Wales would also protect the rights of landowners who object to the $19.6 million wind farm proposed for Eden. One resident in the area, Mr Brian Humphreys, who is a leaseholder of Edrom Lodge has claimed he would be within his rights to object to the current proposal.
Mr Humphreys stated, 'When they're up, they're up for 30 years and once they're up there's not much you can do about it... There's a constant low noise and they said they'd be lit up at night, so we'd have them flickering away as well...
These things are 45 storeys high, so we'd be able to see all seven of them from the house.'
In a letter to the South Australian Development Policy Advisory Committee, dated December 12, 2011, Maureen Beck stated, 'Orderly and sustainable development relies on the input of communities for the betterment of future generations... The State Government should not dictate what the desired character of an area should be. That is the right of the people who have chosen to live there because of the scenic beauty, ambience and community dynamic.'
3. The regulations protect environmentally sensitive sites, those important to the tourist industry and major growth centres
The Victorian government has expressed concern to protect National Parks from any harm that wind farms might cause to the flora and fauna either via their operation or through the infrastructure and maintenance needed to support them.
The Victorian government has also stated that it wishes to preserve important recreational and tourist areas from the potentially negative impact of wind farms.
In its Statement of Policy Plans and Directions issued for the 2010 election, the Victorian Liberals Nationals Coalition stated that one of their aims was 'The exclusion of wind farms in or near national and state parks, designated tourist areas and designated regional population growth corridors.' The Coalition stated it would 'minimise the effect of wind farms on our natural environment and ensure that our coastal landscapes are protected.'
The new Victorian guidelines state, 'Wind energy facilities are not permitted in ... National Parks and other land subject to the National Parks Act 1975; Ramsar wetlands ... ; the Yarra Valley and Dandenong ranges, Bellarine and Mornington Peninsulas, the Great Ocean Road area within five kilometres of the high water mark, and Macedon and McHarg Ranges; the area within five kilometres of the high water mark of the Bass Coast, west of Wilson's Promontory.'
The Victorian government has also decided that certain key growth areas should be exempt from wind farms. This is intended to protect the quality of life of those living in these areas and not alienate land possibly needed for urban development. Under its new guidelines, 'A wind energy facility is ... a prohibited use in an Urban Growth Zone and within five kilometres of major regional cities and centres specified in the Regional Victoria Settlement Framework plan ... being: Ararat, Bairnsdale, Ballarat, Bendigo, Benalla, Colac, Echuca, Geelong, Hamilton, Horsham, Mildura, Moe, Morwell, Portland, Shepparton, Swan Hill, Traralgon, Sale, Wangaratta, Warrnambool and Wodonga.'
4. The regulations are not intended to discourage the development of renewable energy sources
The New South Wales government has said it continues to support the rapidly growing wind industry and remains committed to the target of generating one-fifth of the state's electricity from renewable sources by the end of the decade.
The New South Wales Planning Minister, Brad Hazzard, has claimed that though aspects of the guidelines are 'some of the toughest in the country, possibly the world', they would not prevent the up to $10 billion in investment expected to flow into the sector by 2020
Several wind farm developers initially reacted by claiming they would be able to work within the proposed guidelines (though they also noted they were still digesting the government's proposal.)
A wind industry body, the Clean Energy Council, said it would examine the details of the new proposal but it was confident most wind farm operators would be capable of working within the new guidelines.
Mr Kane Thornton, the director of the Clean Energy Council, has stated, 'The wind industry in Australia already faces some of the strictest development guidelines anywhere in the world. How well it can adapt to these rules will depend on how they are applied in practice - and that remains to be seen.'
In New South Wales wind turbines currently generate about 190 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power about 80,000 average households. However, there are plans to construct sufficient turbines over the next five years to power more than half a million homes.
5. The reliability and economic viability of wind farms is questionable
Opponents of wind farms as an energy source claim they are both expensive and unreliable.
In an opinion piece published in The Herald Sun on September 15, 2011, Miranda Devine stated, 'The idea of clean green wind power sounds good in theory, but the problem is that wind is intermittent. When it doesn't blow there is no electricity, so you need fossil-fuelled power ready on standby to provide the base-load electricity at peak times or on still days.
The cost of building and running the turbines just doesn't stack up.'
Randall Bell, President of the Victorian Landscape Guardians made similar claims at greater length in an opinion piece published in The Geelong Advertiser on September 6, 2011. Mr Bell claims, 'Wind is horribly expensive: about $120 per megawatt hour against coal at $40 and gas at $60. Firstly, there is the initial cost then there is the extra cost of coal or gas generation 24/7... In Spain, with its thousands of wind turbines, each job in renewables is estimated to cost $819,000 in taxpayer subsidies.'
Mr Bell also queries the reliability of wind generated power. He states, 'Wind suffers from an incurable and fatal disease - intermittency.
We all know that the wind is unreliable and fluctuates wildly and when it does it is kicked off the grid, which requires stability at all times. And what happens when there is no wind during our balmy summers? No electricity.'
Mr Bell notes that the unreliability of wind power means that it can never be relied upon independently of another power source. He writes, 'There must be standby electricity generators (coal, gas and hydro, if there is any water) running all the time to rescue wind ...'
Arguments against the new wind farm regulations in Victoria and New South Wales
1. The claims made about the adverse effects of wind farms are unsubstantiated
In July 2010 the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council issued a report on the supposed ill-effects of wind farms on the health of those living near them.
The report stated, 'Concerns regarding the adverse health impacts of wind turbines focus on infrasound noise, electromagnetic interference, shadow flicker and blade glint produced by wind turbines.
While a range of effects such as annoyance, anxiety, hearing loss, and interference with sleep, speech and learning have been reported anecdotally, there is no published scientific evidence to support adverse effects of wind turbines on health.'
Reported health concerns primarily relate to infrasound (sound that is generally inaudible to the human ear) generated by wind turbines. The World Health Organization states that 'There is no reliable evidence that sounds below the hearing
threshold produce physiological or psychological effects'.
A recent expert panel review in North America found no evidence that audible or sub-audible sounds emitted by wind turbines have any direct adverse physiological effect. The principal human response to perceived infrasound is annoyance.
A study of three UK wind farms also supports this conclusion, finding that sound associated with modern wind turbines is not a source which will result in noise levels which may be injurious to the health of a wind farm neighbour.
There is also the argument that if people are worried about their health they may become anxious, causing stress related illnesses which are genuine health effects arising from their worry; however, these effects do not result directly from the wind turbine itself.
A further doubt raised about the validity of health concerns relating to wind farms is that farmers who receive financial benefit from these farms do not seem to suffer ill-effects to the same extent as those who do not gain economically.
2. These restrictions will seriously undermine the development of clean energy sources in affected states and in Australia as a whole
It has been claimed that the Victorian wind farm guidelines, likely to be replicated in New South Wales, will seriously undermine federal government attempts to foster clean, renewable energy generation in Australia.
Giles Parkinson, writing for Climate Spectator (a sub-publication of Business Spectator) has stated, 'This decision in Victoria, and whether the O'Farrell government chooses to follow suit or not, has potentially major implications for the federal government's 20 per cent renewable energy target ... Some industry participants, such as Origin CEO Grant King, say the target will already be hard to meet.'
Parkinson further claims, 'Victoria's decision removes some of the best wind resources in the eastern states. Although the government argues that 92 per cent of the state is still available to wind, wind farm developers say they are effectively locked out. Pacific Hydro, one of the biggest Australian developers, says it will not pursue any further developments in Victoria once its two current projects are completed.'
Parkinson's summary view about government policies that hinder renewable energy is that they will make the meeting of greenhouse emission targets both more difficult and ultimately more expensive. Parkinson states, 'In Australia, it means more delays and ultimately, greater costs. Developers and financiers will have difficulty building in a carbon price to their business models with any certainty. That, in turns, means further delays to the rollout of renewables... Once again, tens of billions of dollars of investment gets pushed back, and ultimately becomes more expensive.'
3. The restrictions will have a damaging impact on the economies of Victoria and New South Wales
It has been claimed that the new guidelines implemented in Victoria and proposed for New South Wales will damage the economies of each state by diverting future investment in wind farms in each jurisdiction. This will reduce the level of development and the jobs growth that would have been associated with the industry.
An analysis conducted for the Clean Energy Council by consultants Carbon Market Economics before last year's Victorian election estimated that between 50 and 70 per cent of proposed wind farms, worth up to $3.6 billion, would not be developed under Coalition policy. Now that this policy has been implemented by the Baillieu government, critics have warned that these investment losses will soon be felt by the Victorian economy.
Renewable energy company Pacific Hydro said it remained committed to building three farms approved under Labor, but it did 'not envisage' developing more in Victoria. The company's general manager, Lane Crockett, stated, 'Unfortunately these new wind farm rules will hold Victoria back while other states power ahead.'
The corporate law firm Clayton Utz has stated, 'For developers, the changes could mean increased delay and cost associated with the assessment and approval of particularly large complex facilities.' It has also been claimed that the development of community-owned wind projects near Castlemaine and Woodend are now in doubt.
Victorian Greens MP Greg Barber stated, 'Wind farms are one of the biggest growth areas for regional Victoria over the past 10 years and they would have been for the next 20 years, but he [Premier Baillieu] has killed that off.'
Similarly, New South Wales Greens MP David Shoebridge stated, 'By pandering to the climate change deniers and wind witch doctors, the NSW government is squandering the chance for the creation of four thousand new green jobs.'
The wind industry offers a range of jobs beyond manufacturing of equipment, including parts supply, maintenance and training services. Critics of the New South Wales and Victorian guidelines argue that they will discourage such growth and will cost these states jobs and development.
4. The restrictions are more limiting than those placed on other energy production facilities and greater than those imposed overseas
It has been claimed that the new Victorian and proposed New South Wales wind farm regulations are discriminatory as they impose greater restrictions on wind farms than they do on other types of development.
The executive manager of Pacific Hydro, Andrew Richards, has claimed that the Victorian government's policy would create a 13-square-kilometre exclusion zone around all homes. Speaking prior to the last Victorian election, Mr Richards noted that the exclusion zone would not apply to other infrastructure, including coal-fired power stations.
Mr Richards stated, 'Why is the wind industry singled out on this? We feel as though we need to make a strong public statement on this so people are under no illusion about what it means.'
Similar criticisms have also been made about the discriminatory nature of the regulations proposed for New South Wales. Lindsay Soutar, the national co-ordinator of the community 100% Renewable campaign stated of the New South Wales draft guidelines, 'The new wind guidelines introduced today place more rigorous requirements on wind projects than on any other project development in the state. While coal and coal seam gas get the red carpet, wind power just gets more red tape.'
The draft planning regulations were also criticised by Max Phillips, a Marrickville Greens councillor, who said on twitter, 'So in NSW u can build a gas well within 200m of a home, or 5-8m of a future home, but a wind turbine should be 2km away. Go figure #nswpol'
It has also been claimed that the two kilometre limit from houses is greater than that imposed overseas. Ditlev Engel, The chief executive of the Danish company, Vestas, a wind-turbine manufacturer, Mr Ditlev Engel has expressed surprise at the two kilometre buffer zone imposed by the new Victorian wind farm regulations.
Mr Engel stated, 'I was asked the other day in Canberra where does that number come from, and I said I have no idea. Who found out that two kilometres was the magic number?
In Denmark, when you have a wind turbine, in order to get approval you need to be four times the height of the tip (away from a house).
The tip height is 150-200 metres, so the distance from the turbine to where people live has got to be 600-800 metres. And that's fine. So why it should be more than double in the state of Victoria I do not know.'
Cam Walker, Friends of the Earth campaigns co-ordinator, similarly states of the New South Wales buffer zone, 'As is the case in Victoria, the guidelines use a 2km trigger when it comes to residents having the ability to oppose a project. What is the basis for selecting 2km? The only conclusion that can be drawn is that the government is following the wish list of anti-wind campaigners through adopting an arbitrary set-back model.'
5. Wind power is neither prohibitively expensive nor unreliable
Supporters of wind power dispute that it is highly expensive or unreliable. They note that it is the cheapest form of clean energy available, being far cheaper than uranium fuelled power stations without creating the waste disposal problems that nuclear power plants have.
Supporters of wind power further claim that it is not intended to replace other forms of power generation but to substantially supplement them.
The director of the Clean Energy Council, Kane Thornton, stated, 'No one is saying that all our electricity should come from the wind, but it is playing an increasing role in providing clean energy for Australians...
One criticism is that wind has to be "backed up" by gas power plants, which sit idling away waiting for the wind to stop blowing. In fact we can predict the wind with better than 90 per cent accuracy and our electricity grid is flexible enough that it can be easily accommodated.'
Mr Thornton has noted the growing importance of wind power in generating clean energy in Australia. He has stated, 'Over the first six months of this year [2011], Australia's 1188 wind turbines generated enough electricity to power more than 725,000 homes. One week the wind was blowing so strongly it powered more than 1.5 million homes. What rusted-on opponents of wind are most afraid of is the evidence that shows how well it works in producing our electricity and reducing emissions.'
Mr Thornton also claims that wind-generated power will not be a significant factor in increasing the cost of electricity. He has written, 'Wind power is currently more expensive than either coal or gas, but you would barely notice it when your bill comes in. Even with all the wind farms planned by the end of the decade under our renewable energy target, the projections are that renewable energy will make up between 4-7 per cent of our bills by 2020. And wind power is coming down in price, while coal and gas are getting more expensive.'
Further implications
Whatever the intentions of the Victorian and New South Wales governments, it seems likely that their new planning regulations for wind farms will seriously, if not completely, undermine the development of future wind farm projects in their states. The situation is slightly worse in Victoria, where the new regulations allow the objection of one resident within the two kilometre buffer zone to prevent the development of a project.
The regulations governing wind farm projects are more stringent than those applied to any other form of power generation. It is therefore understandable that wind farm companies appear to have interpreted them as a virtual denial of entry to the two most populous states in Australia. This comes at a time when an Australian company has designed and tested a wind turbine which it claims is virtually silent. (Details of this development can be found at http://theangle.org/2011/10/30/radically-designed-whisper-quiet-wind-turbine-targets-small-scale-production/) The development of this product may well occur overseas as the Victorian and New South Wales planning regulations will dramatically reduce the market for it in this country. Thus Australians may never experience on any scale a product developed to address some of the concerns which have fuelled popular disquiet about wind farms.
This is part of the issue raised by these new regulations. They effectively close much of Australia out of the development loop for wind farm technology. If, for example, better battery technology serves to make wind-energy an all-year proposition, neither Victoria nor New South Wales will be able to take optimum advantage of that development.
The regulations operating in Victoria and likely soon to operate in New South Wales will substantially undermine the federal targets set as part of Australia's carbon emissions trading scheme. The actions of Victorian and New South Wales governments may ensure that whatever the carbon tax costs Australians financially, they will see little benefit from it in terms of reduced carbon emissions.
Newspaper items used in the compilation of this issue outline
AGE, September 2, 2011, page 14, comment by Andrew Bray, `New laws toss energy jobs to the wind'.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/new-laws-toss-energy-jobs-to-the-wind-20110901-1jo2h.html
H/SUN, September 15, 2011, page 38, comment by Miranda Devine, `Turbine hype a costly myth'.
http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/mirandadevine/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/touchy_feely_policy_packs_a_sting/
AGE, September 25, 2011, page 15, comment by Chris Berg, `Inside dirt on clean energy schemes: they don't work'.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/inside-dirt-on-clean-energy-schemes-they-dont-work-20110924-1kqph.html
AGE, September 24, 2011, page 6, news item (ref to Woodend project and Victorian government's changed rules on wind farms) by A Morton, `Libs sweep wind from turbine sails'.
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/energy-smart/libs-sweep-wind-from-turbine-sails-20110923-1kpec.html
AGE, October 2, 2011, page 11, analysis (on renewables) by Bachelard and Gough, `Sun shines on all sources, not just the power of one'.
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/sun-shines-on-all-sources-not-just-the-power-of-one-20111001-1l2ti.html
AUST, October 19, 2011, page 13, editorial, `Tilting at windmill power'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/tilting-at-windmill-power/story-e6frg71x-1226170062163
AUST, October 19, 2011, page 13, letters under general heading, `Greening of energy supply exacts a high cost'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/greening-of-energy-supply-exacts-a-high-cost/story-fn558imw-1226170064642
AUST, October 18, 2011, page 1, news item by Hepworth and Maher, `$30bn draft for new wind farms'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/wind-farms-to-need-new-budgetary-draft-of-30bn-by-2020/story-e6frg9df-1226169198986
AGE, October 28, 2011, page 15, analysis by Geoff Strong, `Power to the people'.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/power-to-the-people-20111027-1mlym.html
AGE, November 4, 2011, page 8, news item by Tom Arup, `(Geelong) Geothermal plant wins state backing'.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/geothermal-plant-wins-state-backing-20111103-1mxr0.html
AUST, November 12, 2011, page 23, letters under heading, `Renewable energy sources are a costly fantasy'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/renewable-energy-sources-are-a-costly-fantasy/story-fn558imw-1226193101411
AUST, November 21, 2011, page 6, news item by Rebecca Puddy, `Wind farms a disgrace: Philip'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/climate/duke-calls-wind-farms-a-disgrace/story-e6frg6xf-1226200651980
AGE, November 26, 2011, page 6, news item (photo) by A Morton, `Wind turbine rules mystify Danes'.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/wind-turbine-rules-mystify-danes-20111125-1nzb0.html
AGE, December 6, 2011, page 6, news item by Arup and Wroe, `Renewables produce 10% of power supply'.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/renewables-produce-10-of-power-supply-20111205-1ofga.html