The Bethungra Wind Farm is committed to sharing the project benefits with the local community. The project has a locally based representative dedicated to community, landowner and project liaison. This Local Representative in conjunction with local consultants will be working closely with immediate neighbours, Councils, landowners and the local community to engage and identify the best opportunities to design/improve/refine and share the benefits of the Project.
The options being considered and for which the Project will be seeking stakeholder feedback on are;
- A Community Fund at [$1,000 to $3,000] per operating wind turbine;
- A Community Engagement Committee for the construction period and to support the Community Fund;
- A potential Community Energy Program (details to be provided);
- Neighbour Agreements for immediate neighbours (details to be provided).
- Landscaping Program (details to be provided);
- An opportunity for local contractor participation and involvement to maxmise local economic benefits during construction and operation of the project;
- Direct employment options for local employment by training as wind smith or wind turbine service technicians.
The National Picture ……
Australia needs more renewable energy:
- to secure billions of dollars of investment and tens of thousands of jobs for regional and rural Australian communities;
- to protect against the rising cost of generation from fossil fuels;
- to provide supply for retiring plant;
- to help meet its commitments for reducing carbon emissions without buying overseas permits.
New renewable energy is the least expensive form of utility-scale renewable energy generation capable of being rolled out on a large scale. Australia stands to gain some $17 billion of investment and 10,000 jobs from wind energy projects that are currently proposed or approved. Much of this would flow to regional and rural Australia.
New renewable energy can also protect against the expected price increase in the cost of fossil fuels such as coal and gas.
Few Australians until recently appreciated we are now in competition with the rest of the world for gas – and higher demand has already doubled wholesale prices in the last year. While gas power stations are cheaper to build today than new renewables, the cost of renewable energy is coming down fast ……. thanks to advances in technology and larger-scale component production. As gas prices continue to rise into the future, so will the cost of running gas power stations. Meanwhile, the fuel cost of the new renewables is free – and Australia has it in abundance.
