General News
24 May, 2023
Shire to express “disappointment”
MOYNE Shire councillors voted unanimously for mayor Karen Foster to write to Victorian ministers formally expressing council’s disappointment with the lack of consultation around a proposed wind farm in Garvoc.
MOYNE Shire councillors voted unanimously for mayor Karen Foster to write to Victorian ministers formally expressing council’s disappointment with the lack of consultation around a proposed wind farm in Garvoc.
At this week’s Ordinary Meeting of Council, deputy mayor Daniel Meade moved a Notice of Motion that council express disappointment in relation to the lack of communication and engagement of ratepayers, community and Moyne Shire Council by Swansons Lane Wind Farm proponent RE Future.
The Notice of Motion follows both Corangamite and Moyne Shire Councils expressing frustration recently after a planning application was lodged with the Department of Transport and Planning without communication or consultation with council or the community from RE Future.
The motion called for the mayor to express disappointment in writing to Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny and Minister for Climate Action, Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio, as well as RE Future, in addition to seeking meetings with the ministers.
Cr Damian Gleeson questioned if the use of the word “disappointment” in the motion went far enough.
“I’m restraining my motion with ‘disappointment,’” Cr Meade said.
Cr Meade said it was important to let the Minsters know about council and the community’s disappointment with how this application has played out.
“When the news broke that the wind farm was proposed for Garvoc, many in the community were caught off guard to discover the permit had already been lodged with no community consultation,” he said.
“Many in the Garvoc community are downright angry and shocked.
“The numerous Garvoc-district ratepayers that have contacted me said they have felt disrespected, disregarded, have been left in the dark and hoodwinked by this wind farm developer who hasn’t given the community a fair crack.
“Since my time on council, Moyne Shire has continuously asked wind farms for early and often consultation, with us as a shire but more importantly our ratepayers.”
Cr Meade cited comments previously made by Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen, which called on renewable energy companies to engage in early consultation in the communities they wish to operate.
“Communities make a legitimate argument they were not consulted until the die was cast, and we have a clear example of this in Garvoc at the moment,” he said.
Cr Ian Smith seconded, saying Cr Meade captured the mood of the community.
“I think RE Future has displayed the exact opposite a way we, as a community in Moyne Shire, expect these businesses coming in, hoping to establish in our shire, showing us how not to go about it,” he said.
“It shows contempt to our local communities.
“These processes have been going on for several years – they don’t happen a couple of weeks before they announce the project.
“We want to get the message out that if you want to come to Moyne please be transparent, open, engaged with the communities and not just shove it under our nose as it’s going in to the Minister with the permit.”