Wind Farm Fast Facts
Latrobe Valley – a Just Transition
LV needs alternative industries to replace coal fired generators. Delburn Wind Farm is part of this Transition.
LV has skills and infrastructure that could enable it to become a leading renewable energy hub.
Delburn Wind Farm makes use of the legacy transmission lines that will otherwise stand idle as the power stations close.
LV is a good place for renewable energy. While renewable energy plants in other places struggle to get access to the grid because of lack of transmission infrastructure LV can provide unrestricted access to the grid.
Tourism
Sitting astride the Strzelecki Highway the wind farm with its giant turbines will be a tourist attraction with potential to draw tourist dollars to the district.
Global Warming
Clean electricity generated by Delburn Wind Farm will help move Australia and the globe closer to the low CO2 future that will help avoid the catastrophe of more than 2 degrees of global warming
Strzelecki Sustainable Futures believe it is important that the community has access to accurate information about renewable energy to make an informed decision about the proposed Delburn wind farm. The project will deliver a number of benefits to the community:
Community Benefits
Up to 150 jobs during 2 year construction, 10-12 jobs during 30 year operation.
Neighbourhood profit sharing for properties within 2km of a turbine will support land values and bring income into the surrounding communities.
Community Development Fund will deliver $150,000 p.a for local projects.
Co-investment scheme to provide the opportunity to invest in the wind farm and share in the profits.
Rates-in-lieu paid to local councils will replace some of the rates paid by closing power stations.
Wind power is much cheaper than coal power so Delburn Wind Farm will help to reduce power prices.
Health and wellbeing
Coal dust, and particulates in the flue gasses of coal fired power stations (PM2.5 and PM10) are now known to have serious health effects. Residents and workers in the Latrobe Valley have suffered the impacts of these emissions for 70 years.
The 200MW of clean energy produced by Delburn Wind Farm will lead to better health outcomes for LV residents than coal fired generation
Despite fear campaigns, there is no scientific or epidemiological evidence of negative health effects caused by the presence of
wind turbines in Australia or indeed worldwide.
In Australia, after careful consideration and deliberation of the body of evidence, NHMRC concludes that there is currently no consistent evidence that wind farms cause adverse health effects in humans (see download button on homepage).
Forest Fire
Planning discussions with CFA indicate that Delburn's proposed process and fire plans exceed CFA and AFAC guidelines and requirements including in relation to aerial firefighting.
The turbine towers will have lightning rods installed to deal with lightning safely. These will prevent fires starting by dry lightning by attracting lightning to the turbine where it will be earthed.
The wind farm will maintain windbreaks, roads and water supplies that will assist firefighting.
The presence of wind farm workers around the site will deter arsonists and enable early detection of fire.
The turbines will have built-in fire suppression systems and will be built of and use non flammable materials.
Scale & Regulation of Turbines
OSMI plans to use the latest available in turbine technology, so they are planning for 230m high turbines.
There are similar scaled turbines currently being constructed elsewhere in Australia, and some other projects planning for 250m scale turbines due to the efficiency of the larger scale turbines.
Large turbines are more efficient and more productive.
Larger turbines are more spread out in the landscape - and have less visual impact.
OSMI will plan the wind farm to be compliant with all government standards, rules and regulations and will comply with all EPA requirements.