A wind farm proposal for the mid-north of South Australia has won State Government support.
There will be 105 turbines along 16 kilometres at Hornsdale, north of Jamestown.
Investec Bank Australia has been given final planning consent for the $900 million development.
The Government says the project will create up to 250 construction jobs.
When operational, the wind farm will generate enough energy to power 180,000 homes.
SA Planning Minister John Rau said the development had the potential to save 1.25 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Chairman of the Northern Areas Council Ben Browne said the project would be contentious, like other mid-north wind farms, although he expected majority support.
“[There will be] some opposition, yes I do know some residents that are close to it that are very concerned and I can understand why they are concerned,” he said.
“[But] I think the majority of people in that region, certainly the people that are participating, will welcome it, will welcome the investment and income created from it.
“There’s no doubt that the investment and the economic activity will be a huge plus for the Jamestown community and businesses, a billion-dollar wind farm built in your backyard is going to be huge impacts as far as economic spin-offs go.”
Opposition planning spokesman David Ridgway expressed concern about a link between fast-rising electricity costs and wind farms.
“South Australia has the highest penetration of wind farms in the nation and we also have some of the world’s most expensive electricity,” he said.
“I think there’s a link between the two and this passion or fetish that this Labor Government has for wind farms is at the expense of mums and dads and their electricity bills.
“There appears to be in Germany and Denmark, the two other countries in the world that have expensive electricity similar to ours, they also have the largest penetration of wind farms in the world, so there appears to be a direct link and it just seems they (Government) are hell-bent on leading the nation, irrespective of what pressure it puts on mums and dads and businesses in this state.”
