Brolga rules could threaten more wind farms
Several other wind farms planned in western Victoria are in the firing line of rules being imposed to protect the iconic brolga waterbird, opening up the possibility that a big chunk of renewable power generation needed to help meet climate targets does not proceed.
The proposed 400-megawatt Mt Fyans wind farm north of Mortlake and the Hexham project just to the west could be affected by the sorts of conditions imposed last week on the $1 billion Willatook wind farm project north of Port Fairy, which developer Wind Prospect says make it unviable.
Farmer Paul Lewis (third from left) is among landholders in Hawkesdale, western Victoria, who oppose the Willatook wind farm. Drew Ryan
The conditions, which were publicly released by the Victorian government overnight, are intended to conserve the future of the brolga, a threatened species of indigenous crane, and the southern bent-wing bat, a tiny cave-dwelling species that is critically endangered.
“My conclusion is that the environmental effects of the project as proposed in the EES [environmental effects statement] has the potential for unacceptable residual impacts on listed threatened species, specifically brolga and southern bent-wing bat,” Victorian planning minister Sonya Kilkenny said in her assessment report.
“However, the project’s impacts can be acceptable if it is modified, constructed and operated in accordance with the recommendations of my assessment.”
She said that although the transition to renewable energy generation “is a policy and legislative priority for Victoria, protection of declining biodiversity values is also a priority”.
Bird conservationists and other campaigners have other wind projects in their sights after challenging some assertions in the
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