Wind farm gets green light for planning change, bigger turbines

The Victorian government has given the green light to a change of plans for the Woolsthorpe wind farm, in the state’s south-west, that will cut the total number of turbines installed for the project, while jacking up their size.

The state planning minister approved the change to the plans last month, giving the final go-ahead for a project that will now feature 13 turbines and have a total generation capacity of 72MW.

The previous plans for the project, which had already gained state approval, had proposed 20 turbines for the same power output, but the developers said changes in technology led to the need for a change of plans.

According to developers Enerfín, an offshoot of Spanish giant Elecnor, the wind farm will now go ahead with 13 turbines with a maximum height of 230 metres and minimum clearance of the turbine blades from ground level of 66m – up from 168m with a minimum clearance of the turbine blades from ground level of 3m.

“The previously approved turbines are no longer available by the supplier. As such, the project has been reviewed to find new turbines which would be suitable for the land,” the company says here.

“Through advances in technology, current available turbines are larger than what was previously approved. Larger turbines are however more efficient at producing power hence less turbines are required to generate the same amount of energy overall.”

In an article that is behind a paywall, the Warrnambool Standard reports that the minister’s approval of the 230-metre-tall turbines “has blindsided local councils and MPs.”

The Moyne Shire Council published a notice one year ago advising of the developers’ application to amend the Woolsthorpe permit and inviting community submissions on the proposed changes.

Council said community feedback was being sought to assist it in making a submission to the Minister on the amendment application.

According to a planning department report, the planning permit amendment application was exhibited for four weeks over September and October 2022. Forty seven submissions were received, including from seven government agencies and authorities.

The report says the majority of submissions from individuals objected to the changes, citing concerns around landscape and visual amenity, noise and dangers to local fauna.