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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-12-05 Daily Xml
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Wind Farms

The Hon. C. BONAROS (15:03): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: In July 2012, while in opposition and your party's leader in this place, you personally wrote a letter to constituents stating:

South Australian Liberals want to protect residents and communities from wind farms built too close to homes and villages.

South Australians don't want to live too close to industrial scale wind generators. Neighbours and adjacent landowners' farm management practices and rights must not suffer because of a Labor-approved wind farm on another property.

Further in that letter, you went on to write:

Wind-powered generation was previously seen as totally environment-friendly and green, but turbulence is building over its cost, health effects and aesthetics.

You then went on to say:

Liberals believe wind farms must not be approved on sites where they create negative and social effects.

We will protect residents by banning new wind turbines from being built closer than two kilometres from an existing dwelling without the homeowner's consent, and five kilometres from any town or settlement.

Earlier today, I was provided with a response from the Treasurer, which outlines the government's position in relation to the same issue and ends with the following:

I note the honourable member's interest in a review of windfarm policies, and this work is currently being undertaken by the State Planning Commission, which is in the process of updating and reviewing state-wide policies for the Planning and Design Code under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016.

My questions to the minister are:

1. Do you still personally stand by the comments you made in your correspondence with regard to wind farms, and will you be making representations as part of the review process and to the government to that effect?

2. Do you think you misled constituents given the statements made in your letter?

3. Do you think that constituents who received that letter have every right to be bitterly disappointed with the stance your government has taken since coming into government?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (15:05): I thank the honourable member for her question and ongoing interest in the state's renewable energy. It is interesting: I think she quoted a letter I had written in July 2012. I don't know whether it was my personal views, or maybe even the published Liberal Party policy, but we have had two elections since then. Sadly for us and the state, we didn't win the 2014 election, so we had to endure another four years of a bad government. It was a policy that was in place back then. We didn't take it to the 2018 election, so it is not a policy that we took to the 2018 election, so the Liberal Party had reviewed its policy position.

I note that the state planning review is underway. There are always issues with wind farms. The Hon. Mark Parnell, the Hon. Russell Wortley—and that was all, I think, Brokey did not come—only three. The Hon. Ann Bressington did not come because she was frightened of other things, I think, up there that night. I recall a colourful article written about what might happen up there at that site.

We slept under a wind farm one particular night, and I would have to say there was no noise evidence. I was quite surprised; I couldn't hear anything. I do know that there are some people in the community who feel like they are badly affected by them. I am sure the planning review will take that into account as it is conducted by minister Knoll's department.

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