Qld: South Burnett wind farm closer to fruition

AAP General News (Australia)
08-14-2008
Qld: South Burnett wind farm closer to fruition

BRISBANE, Aug 14 AAP - Queensland's South Burnett region is closer to developing the
biggest wind farm in the southern hemisphere after the project received "overwhelming"

community support.

The $1.2 billion project called the Coopers Gap Wind Farm is being proposed for 12,000
hectares of cattle grazing country located almost midway between Kingaroy and Dalby in
south-east Queensland.

International specialist banking group Investec Bank and Windlab Systems, established
by the CSIRO, will lodge a development application to build 252 wind turbine generators
after successful feasibility studies and community consultations at the weekend.

Richard Castellari from Investec's project development team said the company planned
to build 12 wind farms across Australia and New Zealand, with Coopers Gap Wind Farm being
one of three closest to fruition.

"We had overwhelming support for the project from the community and the local council,
with really no objections," Mr Castellari said.

"The wind farm will cover between six and 10 properties.

"The area has really good internal wind speed, is near a transmission network, a network
that distributes power, and from the fauna and flora perspective it's quite benign - there's
no flora or fauna of great significance - it's cattle grazing land."

AAP peb/stg/srp/de

KEYWORD: WINDFARM

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