Poor Checks & Balances for Wind Farm Development
It is the responsibility of government departments to present advice to ministers that is balanced. Input must be sought from all stakeholders. Individual proposals should be analysed based on their merits. An industrial scale wind farm in a bushfire prone forest surrounded by townships and lifestyle properties is a far cry from one in a sparsely populated, broad acre farming region. Yet the State Government sees little distinction.
This is because the wind industry is running the show. After loosening regulations, the government maintains an arms-length approach to wind farm developments. Those connected to the industry write the guidelines and assess compliance with regulations. DELWP and the EPA simply lack the technical expertise, capacity and desire for effective oversight. Planning panels invariably decide in favour of the developer when independent experts challenge the findings of assessments. The State Government simply blames the industry when things go wrong.
Local people most impacted by wind farms are deliberately sidelined. Government representatives have deflected concerns about the proposed Delburn Wind Farm on the basis that no planning application has been lodged. However, the wind farm site is already appearing in DEWLP planning documents. Developers clearly have the ear of government.
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