The Hon. Beverly McArthur, Member for Western Victoria Region, Media Release, 23 April 2024
Concerned residents protesting a controversial new windfarm recently met at Lethbridge Airport to oppose a proposal which will see sixty 270 metre high wind towers of skyscraper proportions placed in an area northwest of Geelong.
Local residents, farmers and the communities of Bannockburn, Lethbridge, Teesdale, Meredith and Shelford are being left in the dark as to the exact location and impact of this vast renewables project.
The Lethbridge Airport owners and their numerous users are mortified at the prospect of Geelong’s Regional airport being rendered virtually inoperable. This airport is the staging ground for the police air wing and CFA water bombers in times of emergency. It is well equipped with the necessary runways and night lighting and is vital in the treatment of bushfires.
Member for Western Victoria Region, Bev McArthur MP, said ‘this sort of ill thought through energy infrastructure in some questionable locations is the end result of the relentless march to fanciful net-zero targets sanctioned by way too many politicians, without thought to the impact on the lives and livelihoods of rural Victorians.’
Mrs McArthur who attended the protest said, ‘this proposal will see some turbines erected less than 1.1 kilometres from local residents’ homes and circling the airport in a 180 degree loop.’
She told the hundreds gathered in an airport hanger ‘that as concerning as the wind towers in inappropriate locations might be, worse still will be the transmission towers needed to connect the energy to the grid.’
Mrs McArthur said she was ‘in favour of increasing the supply of energy and was agnostic to the source, whether it be renewables, HELE coal fired power, nuclear, onshore conventional gas and any other variation on the theme, providing it can be affordable, reliable, accessible and provide baseload power.’
‘I just wish for one minute the government would consider what they are about to put these local residents and airport users through.’
To make matters worse, those seeking to question the proposal or aspects thereof, will now have no avenue of recourse, given the new regulation promulgated by the Allan Labor government, which prevents action at VCAT.
Land use and values will inevitably be affected and the eagles that nest in the area will also be threatened.
The 60 wind towers are set to be less than 30 metres shorter than the Melbourne Skydeck (297.3 M) making them the tallest onshore wind towers in the world.
Mrs McArthur is calling on the Government to meet with concerned residents, property owners and airfield users and not just listen to emission obsessed greens voters who live within the tram tracks of Melbourne.
