Thursday, 12 September 2024

Western Victoria Region

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (14:08): (1133) My question for the Minister for Agriculture concerns news that turbines at the brand new Golden Plains wind farm are falling to pieces. One of my constituents, Russell Coad, found these serrated trailing edges 750 metres from the turbine on his farm, and other pieces fell within metres of the Barunah CFA fire shed. French owners, soon to be the recipients of $180 million of Victorian electricity bill payers’ subsidies annually, have warned farmers:

… we recommend hard hats be worn if critical farming works are required to be completed within 400m of the turbines.

If this is happening with brand new turbines, what will happen in future decades? The extreme weather event which caused this problem for the turbines was – you have guessed it – wind. The next ‘save our sheep’ campaign is going to involve fitting ewes and lambs out in hard hats. Minister, will you issue a graziers warning to Victorian farmers on the threat from serrated trailing edges of wind towers?

Bev McArthur: On a point of order, Deputy President, I have a number of unanswered constituency questions, which I understand we are allowed to raise at this point in time: 671, asked on the 20th of the 2nd 2024 on planning, due on the 5th of the 3rd 2024; 834, to the Attorney-General, unanswered, due on the 16th of the 5th 2024; 939, emergency services, due on the 3rd of the 7th; 958, health, due on the 4th of the 7th 2024; 988, on transport, due on the 14th of the 8th; 1016, on health, due on the 27th of the 8th; 1027, health, due on the 28th of the 8th; 1045, transport, due on the 29th of the 8th; 1056, roads and road safety, due on the 10th of the 9th; and 1074, environment, due on the 11th of the 9th.

Jaclyn Symes: Mrs McArthur, I will follow those up. Ministerial officers are certainly going to be focused on clearing any backlogs over the mini break.