Media Release

In a recent meeting with angry residents, tourist operators and farmers on the Atherton Tablelands, KAP Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter, KAP State Member for Dalrymple Shane Knuth and Tablelands Regional Councillor Marjorie Pagani have united in determination to stop the contentious Mount Emerald Wind Farm from proceeding.

Mr Katter, Mr Knuth and Ms Pagani had recent close discussions with upset residents and farmers who would be affected by the 500 million dollar Wind Farm – a project proposed by Thai-based RATCH Australia.

The group agreed in unison that a one off economic sugar hit against the horizon blemished forever seemed a poor trade off.

Mr Katter said the wind farm developers were being very cavalier in the way they were handling the concerns of the people who will have to live with the Wind Farm day-in day-out arguing that it was “just not good enough”.

The primary concerns of the Wind Farm include the possible impacts to the health of residents nearby, environmental impacts and the economic and social impacts of such a large scale development. The Wind Farm will be constructed with approximately 75 turbines in the centre of prime agricultural land that is surrounded by the residential properties of several families.

Mr Katter said that the turbine vibration noise would have massive impacts to wild life (especially birds), and that there would be serious disruptions to farm necessities such as aerial spraying.

Mr Knuth has been following the situation closely since it came to light late last year and agrees that the project must not go ahead saying that “the economic benefits being spruiked by developers needed to be inspected closely”.

“Reports that 500 million dollars will be injected back to the Tablelands economy is based largely on government-mandated subsidies for clean energy which will not stay with the local economy but will be taken offshore by a large multinational company.

“Government funding available for clean energy would be better redirected to reviving the Reverse Tully-Millstream Hydro Irrigation Ethanol Scheme. This will offer a reliable power source that provides peak load when required with up to eight times the average electricity output of the Mt Emerald Wind Farm.

“The Tully Millstream would have no adverse health impacts; create more local jobs and kick-start the struggling Ravenshoe economy”.