Council
29 January, 2026
Flawed decommissioning plan slammed
MEMBER for South West Coast Roma Britnell MP has condemned proposals to leave hundreds of tonnes of concrete buried beneath decommissioned wind turbines, calling the plan “completely unacceptable and not consistent with the original permit conditions”.
At the same time, the Victorian Government has quietly fast-tracked approval for the Swansons Lane Wind Farm in Garvoc, continuing what Ms Britnell described as a pattern of ignoring community concerns and failing to protect highly productive farming areas.
When Victoria’s first wind farms were approved more than 25 years ago, permits clearly required the land be restored to its original condition at the end of each turbine’s life.
Despite this, it is now proposed approximately 500 tonnes of concrete will remain buried beneath each turbine site, covered with soil.
Ms Britnell said the proposal represents a failure of environmental responsibility and a betrayal of community trust.
“How can the Allan Labor Government continue approving new wind farm developments when there is still no proven, enforceable solution to recycle the full structure of existing turbines, including the blades and the massive concrete foundations?” she said.
“Approving more projects while ignoring the unresolved legacy of existing wind farms is reckless and deeply irresponsible.”
Ms Britnell said the Allan Labor Government have had decades to develop responsible decommissioning methods.
“Burying massive concrete blocks in productive farmland is not environmental management, it is environmental neglect,” she said.
“Concrete is recycled all over the world and reused in road construction.
“Choosing burial over recycling is not a technical limitation; it is a failure of responsibility.”
Ms Britnell emphasised the ultimate responsibility for environmental protection, particularly below the surface, where landholder responsibility ends, lies with the Victorian Government.
She said allowing buried industrial waste beneath some of Victoria’s most productive farmland, she warned, would set a dangerous precedent.
Only seven per cent of the Earth’s land surface is arable – a figure which is shrinking.
Ms Britnell said Victoria cannot afford to treat agricultural land as disposable.
“This is not how communities expect the environment to be managed in 2026,” she said.
“It’s unacceptable to simply bury the problem and walk away.”
The original turbines were around 80 metres tall, each requiring a 500-tonne concrete foundation.
Turbines now reach 250 metres, which Ms Britnell said means foundations are significantly larger, multiplying the scale of the problem if action is not taken now.
The wind company involved has stated it is researching options for recycling turbine blades and will not bury them.
Ms Britnell said she argues the same standard must apply to concrete foundations.
“If burying blades is unacceptable, then burying hundreds of tonnes of concrete is equally indefensible, she said.”
Ms Britnell said the community is demanding accountability, transparency and enforcement of permit conditions.
“We cannot allow an environmental legacy of buried industrial waste beneath Victoria’s most valuable farming land,” she said.
“Regional communities deserve better.”
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