Tuesday, 16 May 2023

 Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (13:49): (169) My question is to the Minister for Planning, and it regards the proposal for a seven-tower development of wind turbines at Brewster, just east of Beaufort in my electorate. Locals are rightly concerned about the process undertaken to get to a point where this development is under consideration, and I do note that the minister has called this matter in. Locals are concerned, particularly about the selective consultation process, which did not seek to reach all impacted locals, and the critical omissions and inaccuracies in the ecological assessments used to advocate for the proposal. The proposed development was initially for four wind turbines, and now it is seven. The proposed site sits between three wind tower sites already – Waubra, Stockyard Hill and Chepstowe wind farms, which are all in very close proximity – and is at the centre of a brolga breeding ground. The Pyrenees shire have also expressed concerns regarding the matter. My question to the minister is: will the minister meet with concerned locals on site, seek information and take all those considerations into her thoughts when she is making the decision?