Despite a wind turbine fire in June having the potential to have caused widespread devastation, the Victorian Government has no plan to address and prevent future catastrophes.

In the final week of State Parliament for 2024, the Minister for Emergency Services was unable to report to Parliament or the thousands of CFA volunteers which turbines are fitted with fire suppression equipment, and what resources will be available to CFA volunteers to combat potential fires across any of the thousands of turbines distributed across some of the most fire prone areas in Victoria.

Dismissively, the Minister for Emergency Services said that Victorians “would appreciate that as Minister for Emergency Services I am not undertaking an audit.”

Shadow Minister for Emergency Services, Richard Riordan, said: “The thousands of CFA volunteers and hundreds of at-risk communities do not appreciate the situation or the Minister dismissing their concerns.

“The Liberals and Nationals again call for the Labor Government to immediately audit and release publicly the safety profile of every wind farm in Victoria. No other potentially dangerous industry would be allowed to develop without a fire safety plan.

“As Victorian wind turbines age and become at greater risk of fire, the current solution to let them burn out is simply not a solution that is good enough. The Emergency Services Minister must take responsibility for ensuring communities and first responders know what risks they are facing.

“Regional Victorians cannot be expected to be left with potentially thousands of towering infernos and a Government that believes Victorians “appreciate” they have no plan and no regulations in place to manage a potentially catastrophic fire event.” 

This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 3 December 2024.