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Federal environment minister Ian Campbell said he was considering the move in comments at a community meeting yesterday opposing construction of a wind farm at Wilson Head, near Denmark in the south-west of Western Australia.
WA planning and infrastructure minister Alannah MacTiernan last week approved amendments to the Denmark town planning scheme that overrode objections from the Shire Council, which this year voted against construction of the wind farm.
Campbell said he was considering a planning code with state cooperation that would protect communities.
He told the meeting that wind energy could not play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions unless state governments stopped overruling local communities about where the farms should be built.
The Denmark project was developed by Denmark Community Windfarm with the help of a Federal Government grant of up to $240,000, to investigate building a wind farm for economically and environmentally sustainable electricity for the town and surrounding region.
In approving the amendment, MacTiernan said the approval was in accordance with the State Government's commitment to increase the proportion of renewable energy in the South West Interconnected System to 6% by 2010, from 1%.
She acknowledged that the community was divided over the issue but said the Denmark Community Windfarm would provide clean energy and opportunities for eco-tourism and education.
Denmark shire president Kim Barrow has said the council was not against the wind farm – only its proposed location at Wilson Head.
In related news, Sydney firm Taurus Energy says it is keen to meet members of the Goulburn and Yass communities in southern New South Wales to discuss potential wind farms in the areas.
Taurus will use community consultation and a feasibility study to determine whether to build three wind farms that have up to 16 turbines each.
The three prospective sites are at Conroy's Gap, 17km west of Yass; the Cullerin Range, east of Gunning; and Evandale, about 15 km west of Goulburn.
