Wind Farm Furore: ‘Unavoidable’ Ecological Damage Sparks Bitter Debate in South-West Victoria
- Controversial Kentbruck wind farm project sparks outrage among environmental groups, who claim it will devastate endangered bird populations
- Experts warn that climate change poses a far greater threat to biodiversity, but is some environmental damage an unfortunate – but necessary – casualty in the battle against climate change?
- Victorian planning minister Sonya Kilkenny set to make a decision on the project, which could generate enough power for 400,000 homes but risks fragmenting the landscape and posing a collision risk to endangered birds and bats
In the heart of south-west Victoria, a bitter debate is raging over a proposed wind farm that could generate enough power for 400,000 homes, but at what cost to the region’s fragile ecosystem?
Environmental groups are up in arms over the Kentbruck Green Power Hub, which they claim will devastate endangered bird populations, including the Australasian bittern, orange-bellied parrot, and south-eastern red-tailed black cockatoo. The project, situated near an internationally significant Ramsar-listed wetland and several national parks, has sparked concerns over the potential risks to these vulnerable species.
In a heartfelt plea, Jordan Crook, campaigner for the Victorian National Parks Association, urged that the wind farm be relocated to a less ecologically sensitive area, citing the region’s already limited habitat due to past clearing. “When you zoom out and see that pine plantation is within an [ecologically] important area in the south-west, where there’s already limited amounts of habitat because of past clearing, it really doesn’t stack up,” he said.
But experts argue that climate change poses a far greater threat to biodiversity, and that some environmental damage may be an unfortunate – but necessary – casualty in the battle against climate change. “Whatever we do, there will be some undesirable effects,” said Professor Frank Jotzo, Australian National University professor of environmental and climate change economics. “In the big picture, there’s no omelette you can make without breaking any eggs.”
As the Victorian planning minister prepares to make a decision on the project, the question remains: can we perfect the balance between protecting ecosystems and biodiversity, and rolling out these projects? Chris O’Keefe, national spokesperson for the Clean Energy Council, believes that renewable energy developers have the environment front of mind, but admits that finding the perfect balance may not be possible. “I don’t think that’s possible to say,” he said. “But … there is no renewable energy company in Australia that does not have the environment front of mind.”
With the future of the Kentbruck wind farm hanging in the balance, one thing is clear: the battle against climate change will require difficult decisions and uncomfortable compromises. But as the clock ticks on, one question remains: what is the true cost of our pursuit of renewable energy?