‘Huge potential’ in wind industry
‘Huge potential’ in wind industry
March 04, 2009
Section: News
EMMA SPILLETT
espillett@kiamaindependent.com.au
OPPOSITION has been raised to Kiama Deputy Mayor Ben van der Wijngaart’s notion of a community-based wind farm for the area.
ABC Wind owner and Gerroa resident Simon Mansfield attended the South Precinct meeting last week and quizzed the deputy mayor about the viability of a commercial wind farm.
“The wind industry on the South Coast has huge potential,” he said.
“Having a commercial wind farm would be a good way to get people into the industry rapidly and really benefit from it.”
Cr van der Wijngaart said the project he was pushing was a community-owned model and he would not support a commercial wind farm.
“It’s not a project I’m interested in and it’s not what the community wants,” he said.
“I was pushed for an answer at the meeting on the question ‘would I continue to be involved if it turned out the wind farm would be commercial rather than community?’ and I said no.
“I want to put something in place that benefits the community and lets the profits come to the community.”
Cr van der Wijngaart said he was concerned with reports that developers had already approached farmers in the area to discuss the establishment of wind turbines.
“We don’t want to be pipped at the post by some cashed-up developer who might well poison the town in terms of community trust and attitudes,” he said.
“I have no connection to people who are discussing wind turbines with local farmers.”
Mr Mansfield said ABC Wind was in the process of identifying opportunities for wind farming.
“We have the opportunity to make this a successful industry, but we need clarification as to what the ownership structure for a wind farm should be and we need to consider employing all systems,” he said.
“There are so many opportunities in renewable energy and solutions such as wind and natural gas are a great way to lower pollution and mitigate global warming.”
Mr Mansfield did not want to see the wind industry become a “cottage industry” on the South Coast.
- Mar 5, 2009 @ 07:46am
How interesting and exciting to see a community based debate around this central topic of the new millennium; our belated response to climate change and the collective challenge of sustainability. I feel it is important to discuss clean energy production as a vehicle for social change because as Prime Minister Rudd discusses in his landmark article on the collapse of a neo-liberal economic approach: “Government, properly constituted and properly directed, is for the common good, embraces both individual freedom and fairness, a project designed for the many, not just the few.” We need to, as a community, rediscover our economic mojo; it is hard to imagine that our elected representatives, at any level of government, will be able to justify automatic capitulation to divide and conquer market tactics when we are trying to build the central pillars of a sustainable society. In many ways it is not “business as usual” for entrepreneurs, there are no sacred investment issues and those that realise this will thrive. The community will no longer tolerate public resources and community infrastructure being taken for granted as existing solely for short term profit and the illusion of quick fix economics. This new level of rigorous analysis of private business motives will be good for the long term sustainability of markets and the projects that are deemed viable will find it easier to attract ongoing support, both from the community and the recalibrated financial sector.
- Mar 4, 2009 @ 08:45am
For the record; neither myself or my business ABC Wind opposes community owned wind farms. As a matter of principal the legal structure of any company or organization is a matter solely for those involved in said company or project. Wind farms can be developed using a mix of legal structures, including farmer syndicates and co-ops, community non-profits and commercial for profit ventures. All of these are legally allowed business structures that under Australian laws can be developed and owned by any member of our community who has appropriate legal and planning approval and the required financing. What I oppose is a sole form of structure as ordained by Cr van der Wijngaart as the only acceptable form of development. Deputy Mayor Ben van der Wijngaart does not own the wind and never will.
Comment count: 3
There have been examples in New Zealand where insufficient community involvement in planning window power projects has seen them derailed. A community designed, run and owned system is more likely to avoid these problems and serve as a positive model for the rest of the country. Get the community consultation wrong and the bad PR could set the Australian wind power sector back years.