Windfarms

Environmental Conflict Analysis - Wind farms: 

Environmental Conflict Analysis - Wind farms Hannah Hellawell, Kim Saxton and Tom Glover

An Introduction: 

An Introduction Controversial issue Involves global targets for gas emission reduction – political framework Community uproar about the processes, location of the sites and associated problems – local perspective

Why Renewable Energy?: 

Why Renewable Energy? Australia has the third highest energy consumption per capita in the world Increasing amounts of CO2 entering the atmosphere Fossil fuels being unsustainable

Slide4: 

The farms have met with mixed reactions Challicum Hills Wind Farm near Ararat, met with almost no community objections Others have had fierce community opposition, such as the sites we are looking at in South Gippsland Reactions

Locations : 

Locations Mary Delahunty decided in April 2004, not to seek an environmental impact statement for the Dollar site

The Objection: 

The Objection Wind farm opened at Toora in August 2002 A group called “The Prom Coast Guardians” wish to protect the further areas from Fish Creek to Welshpool from the proposed wind farm projects

Part of the installation at Toora : 

Part of the installation at Toora

Prom coast guardians arguments: 

Prom coast guardians arguments 5 years spent repaying the CO2 used to produce the turbine Cost is almost double the conventional cost of electricity ($75 pmW compared to $40 pmW) Wind energy does not cut consumption

The Australian Wind Energy Association: 

The Australian Wind Energy Association Auswea states that in less than 6 months, the energy to produce the turbine will be paid back The cost is higher, however no consideration is taken into the environmental cost of conventional fossil fuel energy Every kilowatt generated is a kilowatt generated by another source

Location and effect on environment: 

Location and effect on environment The prom area is recognised an area of outstanding beauty “The views will be compromised by the construction of wind turbines” The area relies heavily on tourism Migratory wader birds will be threatened by the construction

The Federal Government as a Player: 

The Federal Government as a Player The Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 The effect of the legislation is known as MRET Mandatory Renewable Energy Target. MRET places a legal liability on wholesale purchasers to proportionately contribute to the generation of an additional 9500GWh of renewable energy annually by 2010.

The Federal Government as a Player: 

The Federal Government as a Player There are a number of other government support programs for renewable energy totalling $300 million in its 2003 review of the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000, the projected percentage of renewable energy technologies by 2020 places Wind at 41%

The State Government as a Player: 

The State Government as a Player Through the SEAV, the Victorian government has also produced its Policy and planning guidelines for development of wind energy facilities in Victoria. Victorian Wind Atlas, which has recently been published with hard copies distributed to all public libraries throughout Victoria. This is also available to purchase.

Victorian wind speed: 

Victorian wind speed

Victorian electricity grid: 

Victorian electricity grid

The State Government as a Player: 

The State Government as a Player The Victorian government had facilitated an agreement between Victorian companies and international renewable energy corporations. This has prompted a Danish company to confirm ‘…its interest in establishing a wind turbine blade manufacturing plant in Ararat. It is highly likely given these factors, that more wind farms will be a future reality for communities throughout Victoria.

Objections: 

Objections Visual Flora and fauna Location Noise Aesthetic .e.g 110m tall Observations by residences Wet land birds

Location: 

Location The site is situated along the inland side of a coastal reserve and is also very close to wetlands on another Some dwellings are within the recommended 500meters of turbines Noise and vibrations affecting living quarters

Location cont.: 

Location cont. Land owner indefinitely absent Along the road to a popular camping and recreation spot

Aesthetics: 

Aesthetics Aesthetics The turbines will stand a total of 110m on this site In a direct line with the main road into Wonthaggi and to some extent the main street

Flora and fauna: 

Flora and fauna  flora Direct Destruction of plants it the initial construction   Indirect Introduction of weeds either in soil or by machines Introduction of pest species that could eat or infect native plants...not just in site but also into parallel reserve

Fauna: 

Fauna Direct Death of birds that come into contact with blades Destruction of birds and animals nests or homes in the construction Birds killed on wind farm sites on agricultural land have an average of 2-4 bird deaths a year, but these are not coastal or next to a reserve 88 species of birds and 11species or mammals are known to occur in area

…Fauna: 

…Fauna Indirect Noise of turbines will force birds to relocate nests to more then 250 and change flight patterns to avoid being up to 800 meters from larger turbines like these A wind farm in the flight path of migratory birds could either injure or disorientate them i.e. the endangered Orange bellied parrot whose flight path crosses the new turbines

Fauna cont…..: 

Fauna cont….. There were 10 species likely to pass over the site that were threatened or in greater danger including 2 endangered and 1 critically endangered

EES: 

EES An EES determines the environmental impacts the extent of the impacts and the safe guards the need to be put in place to minimise them The EES applied to the Wonthaggi wind farm site was ill suited for the area and wasn't developed for it Very limited surveys were carried out at the Wonthaggi site

Benefits: 

Benefits Benefits “The wind farm will save 42000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year and is equivalent to planting around 60,000 trees or taking 10,000 cars off the road.” this is only for the Wonthaggi sites 6 turbines

Conflict Resolution: 

Conflict Resolution Prom coast guardians refute conflict resolution – email Wonthaggi community would like the repositioning of the turbines on the site so that the 4 are at the back and the two at the front

Conflict Resolution: 

Conflict Resolution Relocation of wind farm after agreement reached in the US between an opposing group and the developer. Local community in UK decided to buy their own wind turbine (one), keeping financial benefits in local economy