Central Highlands windfarm approved

Central Highlands Council has approved the St Patricks Plains Wind Farm development between Bothwell and Miena in the central highlands at a special meeting on Tuesday in the Bothwell Town Hall.

Despite more than 200 representations, 2 Ark Energy’s 47-turbine project was approved on the advice of Council’s planning officers in front of a packed public gallery.

The wind farm, which at one point proposed the installation of 67 turbines, before being pared back to 50, and now 47, is still awaiting a decision from the federal government through its assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act.

“We have worked hard to avoid and minimise potential environmental impacts, and the unavoidable environmental impacts are manageable, as shown by the EPA’s report,” Ark Energy’s general manager of development for Tasmania Donna Bolton said.

“The Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle has been a key species of focus. Proactive avoidance and the latest technology have been combined to achieve the least impact possible to Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles.”

The windfarm with have a generation capacity of up to 300MW and Energy and Renewables minister Nick Duigan has welcomed the decision.

“It is good to see progress being made on projects like this. It’s great news and is another big step in growing Tasmanian’s renewable energy resource” Minister Duigan said.

“This project will also make a significant contribution to achieving our Renewable Energy Target, to double energy production by 2040.
 
Minister Duigan has called on the Federal Labor Government to give the project a timely decision under the EPBC Act.