YASS Valley Shire Council on Wednesday night voted against wind farms in principle being located in its region, but the debate is far from over.
The motion narrowly got up – five in favour, four against – but a recision motion has been slated for the next meeting and the one sure outcome is not everyone will be satisfied by whatever happens next.
Councillor Michael McManus, who worked in the electricity industry for 40 years, has put forward the recision motion because he believes council has not yet got its policy right.
“No matter how you look at it there are enormous changes underway,” he said.
“Whether you believe in the science of climate change or not, since 1980 we have closed eight coal-fired power stations and it is unlikely any proponent would get finance to build another one,” he said.
“So at the moment we have a choice of three, solar, wind and Snowy 2.2.”
Cr McManus said he was very sympathetic with those people who did not want wind farms in their area.”
“We’re looking at change similar to the industrial revolution, the steam engine, the slow combustion engine, it is very confronting,” he said.
The proponent of the original motion passed on Wednesday night, Cr Geoff Frost said a win was a win, even if it was a narrow one.
“You’ve got a whole nation debating renewables and you have small rural communities copping all the consequences,” he said.
“There is a real inequality in the debate.”
Yass Valley Shire Council is organising a workshop to discuss wind “farms” and their consequences and the issue will next be debated on June 27 at what councillors expect to be “another tense meeting”.