YASS Valley Council’s decision to stop wind farm development in its Local Government Area (LGA) after existing permitted wind farms are built comes as a huge blow to local businesses hoping to benefit from the massive investment that will occur when these projects are built.
At a time when councils around the country are turning to renewable energy to drive local economic opportunities, inspire local innovation and support their communities, it is extremely disappointing to see Yass Valley Council heading in the other direction.
Yass has world-class wind resources so the investment opportunity is massive.
There are four wind projects with approvals to proceed in the region, totalling 251 turbines, up to 60 of which would be within the Yass Valley LGA.
Together they would see 195 local construction jobs created and 43 ongoing local jobs for the 25-year life of the wind farms.
Something in the order of $155 million economic activity could be expected from this construction.
This is money that will flow to Yass businesses large and small and help them set themselves up for years to come.
Wind farms also bring social as well as economic benefits.
A further $168,000 would go into Community Enhancement Funds each year from these wind farms, providing much-needed funding for local hard-working community groups.
Opportunities of this magnitude don’t come along every day for rural communities doing it tough so it’s baffling that council wouldn’t grasp this opportunity with both hands for Yass residents.
One of the many confused reasons for this motion being passed was the idea that Yass Valley is somehow carrying a “burden” of producing renewable energy for electricity users around the country.
This idea forgets that farmers are producers who depend on markets.
When farmers produce food and fibre, capital cities are their largest domestic markets.
Like sheep farms, wind farms are built not where the demand is, but where the resources to produce the commodity are.
Wind farms allow farmers to partner with wind companies to farm the wind resources that blow across their properties every day, increasing farm productivity and delivering year-in, year-out income that can be so critical during downturns and droughts.
Wind power is not a “burden” for Yass, it is a huge opportunity that’s only available to those rural areas blessed with strong winds.
Capital city demand for food and fibre and renewable energy allows farmers to keep their farms and keeps the country way of life alive.
Every year, over 50,000 megawatts of new wind energy capacity is added across the world, which is more than the entire Australian electricity system.
With wind now the cheapest source of new electricity in many countries across the world, including Australia, the shift to clean energy is happening in earnest.
Yass has a golden opportunity to take a lead, but that opportunity is being squandered by Yass Valley Council.
Wind power is driving a positive, clean energy future of prosperity and security for our children.
It’s time to look to that future.
- Andrew Bray is the Australian Wind Alliance’s national coordinator.
