A renewed push by proponents of the proposed 427 turbine Whaleback Ridge wind farm project in the Meredith Ranges Regional Reserve would compromise the natural values underpinning the reserve status. The reserve was created through the 1997 Regional Forest Agreement under Prime Minister John Howard and Premier Tony Rundle, and extended in 2005 under Prime Minister John Howard and Premier Paul Lennon. The area was also recommended for inclusion in a Tarkine National Heritage Listing by the Australian Heritage Council (2012) and for World Heritage Listing in the Tasmanian Forest Agreement Independent Verification Group Report (2013).
“This mega-windfarm has no place in a public reserve,” said Bob Brown Foundation takayna/Tarkine Campaigner Scott Jordan.
“Claims by the proponent that there are no environmental values at risk are ludicrous. Each turbine will need roading, cabling, drainage, and 10,000 cubic metres of concrete footings permanently changing the landscape. The thermal-rich, rolling heathlands of Whaleback Ridge are hunting grounds filled with prey species for carnivores like the endangered Wedge-tailed Eagle.”
“Last year’s UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) made it clear that we are in the midst of a global biodiversity and extinction crisis. Energy, including renewables, must not come at the cost of lost species and biodiversity.”
“This is a wild place that should be left for the wildlife, not sacrificed for private profiteers,” concluded Mr Jordan.
The proponents have not published environmental reports relating to the project.
