RESIDENTS of Yarram and surrounds are being encouraged to have their say on the proposed Gelliondale Wind Farm.
A noise information session and simulation presentation is scheduled to be delivered by Marshall Day Acoustics on Thursday, March 9 at 11am.
The event will take place at the project’s information centre – shared with the offshore Star of the South project – at 310 Commercial Road, Yarram.
As part of the development process, Gelliondale Wind Farm is also seeking feedback and information to assist with the development of a Community Benefit Program.
The proposed initiative will distribute “up to $240,000 each year”, according to the wind farm’s developers.
Additionally, feedback is still being sought through an online public opinion survey.
Thirteen random survey participants will receive a $200 EFTPOS gift card in appreciation of their input.
Access to the surveys is available via the QR code on display at the information centre, or via the website at www.gelliondalewind.com/public-opinion-survey/
Subject to planning approvals, the proposed Gelliondale Wind Farm would consist of a maximum 13 on-shore wind turbines with a tip-height of 210 metres, generating up to 80 megawatts of energy and having the capacity to power 37,000 homes.
According to Adam Gray, managing director of Synergy Wind (which is developing the wind farm), the project will create “about 50 jobs during construction and 10 ongoing positions.”
Mr Gray has told the Gippsland Times that construction could start by as early as 2024.
The project is not without its detractors; Guardians of Nooramunga Coastal Communities has previously voiced its objections to the wind farm, arguing that the size and the location of the proposed turbines – less than eight kilometres from the coast – will affect local birdlife.
Mr Gray said that the proposed site “has been the subject of rigorous environmental impact assessments, including comprehensive flora and fauna studies and targeted species surveys.”
Members of the Gelliondale Wind Farm team are available to discuss the project and respond to questions at their information centre on Thursdays from 1pm to 6pm, or by appointment.
For more information, visit www.gelliondalewind.com or call 1800 931 871.
