Tuesday, 17 October 2023

Adjournment

Woolsthorpe wind farm

Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (19:00): (371) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Planning, and the action I seek is for the minister to reject the amendment to the planning permit for the Woolsthorpe wind farm that will permit overheight wind towers to be built in the current flight path of Warrnambool Airport. The wind farm’s planning permit had wind turbines up to 168 metres in height, which did not interfere with aircraft safely operating out of the nearby Warrnambool Airport. However, this 168-metre height limit has been irresponsibly amended by this state Labor government’s planning panel to allow towers of up to 230 metres in height – a 40 per cent increase in height.

Now, let me be very clear on this, Minister. A planning panel under your department has approved a permit for wind turbines that puts lives at risk. The approved overall height of 230 metres is greater than the current Civil Aviation Safety Authority minimum safe operating level for operating out of Warrnambool Airport. The panel stated that CASA could raise the minimum safe operating level to accommodate the wind turbines and allow aircraft to operate; however, I think it is fair to assume that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority will not allow for such a situation, as this would potentially put lives at risk. What this means is it will potentially be impossible for certain aircraft to utilise the Warrnambool Airport, including larger jet aircraft that are seen operating services to regional Victoria at airports like Bendigo and Mildura.

Warrnambool Airport is home to Ambulance Victoria’s HEMS 4 helicopter, business operators, flight training providers and local recreational flyers, and on top of this the airport is regularly visited by planes from Ambulance Victoria, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Angel Flight. These are critical, and we cannot put these services at risk due to an irresponsible planning decision.

Once again we are seeing this Labor government ignore regional Victoria’s interests. Not only that but they are also actively undermining the future prospects and development of a regional town with their rushed efforts to reach net zero, with the wind turbine heights preventing an extended runway being developed and the addition of passenger services to Warrnambool.

Whilst those opposite like to lecture and heckle about regional Victorians being against renewable energy and slowing down the planning process, it is quite the opposite. The Moyne shire, in which the Warrnambool Airport is located, is home to the most wind turbines of any local government region in our state. South-West Coast is doing all the heavy lifting to meet the rushed goals set by this Labor government, which has no plans on how to reach them. We saw that in the secret deal with AGL to keep coal power plants open, and now we are seeing it with their need to sacrifice a major regional town’s local airport. Warrnambool and the South-West Coast will not tolerate the loss of the viability of our airport. The minister should use common sense and reject this amendment.