THE long-running saga of the orange-bellied parrot and the Bald Hills wind
farm has ended with Environment Minister Ian Campbell overturning his
controversial decision to block the $220 million project.
The reversal was variously hailed as a "humiliating backdown" by the Federal
Opposition, a victory by the Victorian Government, a vindication by the
developer, regrettable by the anti-wind farm Coastal Guardians and a "real blow"
by the local federal MP, Liberal Russell Broadbent.
State Planning Minister Justin Madden said: "It is a case of a yellow-bellied
minister trying to save an orange-bellied parrot."
Senator Campbell banned the 52-turbine wind farm in South Gippsland in April,
citing a consultant's report which found that one orange-bellied parrot a year
could be killed — at 23 existing and proposed wind farms in Victoria, Tasmania
and South Australia.
Modelling with the same data used in the report suggested a wind farm at Bald
Hills alone would result in one parrot being killed every 667 years in the worst
case, and 1097 years in the best case.
The Opposition said Senator Campbell's decision to protect one "theoretical
parrot every 1000 years" was like something from a Monty Python script.
Labor said the ban was to appease vocal wind farm opponents in the marginal seat
of McMillan. It was revealed in court that Senator Campbell had ignored advice
from his own department that the wind farm could be built without significantly
affecting the parrot.
He agreed to reconsider the decision after the developers appealed to the
Federal Court.
Yesterday, he said the Bald Hills wind farm had been given federal approval
subject to strict conditions to protect the parrot and other threatened species.
He said the developer, Wind Power, had agreed to move six turbines that were
within two kilometres of the coast to ensure there was no impact on the bird's
migratory path.
The approval was also subject to a buffer zone between the turbines and a
wetland, and the developer notifying the minister of the death of any threatened
or migratory species within two days of discovery.
"Having thoroughly considered all information presented to me in relation to the
proposal, I am satisfied that the strict conditions attached to this approval
will address the risk to threatened species that may use the area," Senator
Campbell said.
Wind Power director Andrew Newbold was relieved that the project had finally
been approved after 4½ years. He said the project would reduce Australia's
greenhouse gas emissions by 435,000 tonnes a year, the equivalent of taking
100,000 cars off the road.
"It shouldn't be this hard to do something about climate change when half of
Victoria is on fire because of climate change," Mr Newbold said.
But local member Mr Broadbent said he was "sorely disappointed" by the decision.
"This is a real blow to the people of this area who have fought long and hard to
protect endangered wildlife and the amenity and beauty of the Gippsland
coastline," he said.
Victorian Nationals leader Peter Ryan said it was "another example of city-based
politicians overriding the concerns of a country community".
The anti-wind farm group Tarwin Valley Coastal Guardians vowed to continue the
fight. "Our community has been fighting this developer and the Bracks Government
for over four years, we are not going to go away now," Coastal Guardians
spokesman Tim Le Roy said.
He said 1500 people and many major environmental groups, including the
Australian Conservation Foundation, the local state Greens candidate and South
Gippsland Conservation Society, had objected to the wind farm.
Senator Campbell denied allegations of political motivation, saying all his
decisions had been based on science. He said the Victorian Government had
knocked back wind farms to the north and west of Bald Hills for "purely
political" reasons.