The decision to knock back the Bald Hills proposal was made on the basis of a study conducted by Biosis Research on behalf of the Department of Environment and Heritage. The study found that the potential impact of all operating and planned wind farms in Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria could result in one death per year of the endangered Orange Bellied Parrot.
Campbell’s critics have claimed that the decision is politically motivated and could have a significant negative impact on further investment in wind energy, particularly in rural areas.
www.EnvironmentalManagementNews.net queried the Minister’s office to discover whether the Bald Hills decision would set a precedent that would make it difficult for the other 13 projects included in the Biosis report to receive federal approval.
A spokeswoman for the Minister informed EMN Campbell had requested an independent report following concern that the cumulative impacts of all wind farms on listed species had not been fully understood.
“In certain areas, the risk to birds from impacts with wind turbines will be higher than in others," she said.
“As such, the potential for each project to have a significant impact on nationally threatened and migratory species will always need careful consideration on a case-by-case basis.”
Campbell’s decision to block the Bald Hills development was made under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999), which empowers the minister to make rulings on developments likely to have a significant impact on specific matters of national environmental significance.
“Each proposed development that is referred to the Australian Government is assessed on its merits and the individual circumstances of the particular proposal," the spokeswoman said.
Earlier this month, Campbell called for an integrated national approach to wind farm developments, saying wind energy was a critical element of the nation’s environmental strategy.
"It's important that wind energy is seen to be a friend to Australia's energy future," he said.
"The challenge of climate change demands even more renewable energy and the principle of democracy demands greater consultation with local communities."
