By Jeremy Sollars
The developer of a proposed wind farm north of Stanthorpe says he expects to see turbines turning by the middle of 2018.
Tim Lucas is the man behind the planned $40m ‘Rabbit Ridge Wind Farm’ for land off Rabbit Ridge Road at Dalveen which would see six giant turbines up to 200 metres in height gracing the local rural vista.
Around 40 local residents from the Dalveen and Pozieres areas objected to the plan when it was lodged by Mr Lucas with the Southern Downs Regional Council in 2014.
Mr Lucas got the all-clear on the project from the Southern Downs Regional Council in late November 2016 after nearly three years of haggling over council conditions and objections from locals.
The previous Southern Downs Regional Council originally refused the plan but Mr Lucas appealed and last year accepted renegotiated conditions set out by the current council to allow his plan to proceed.
Mr Lucas did agree to down-size the wind farm from eight to six turbines.
The project would require a three kilometre section of new 33kV powerline from the wind farm to the main Ergon powerline into Stanthorpe.
Locals are concerned about the visual appearance of the turbines on the landscape and noise both from the turbines themselves and backup diesel generators which would be operated in times of minimal wind.
Mr Lucas told the Free Times this week he has had “major grid connection studies and modelling checked by Ergon”.
“I am in the final stages of negotiating with a turbine manufacturer and expect to see turbines turning mid next year,” Mr Lucas said.
“This privately funded infrastructure project will be a major boost to the local economy both during construction and the subsequent eco-tourism boost.
“Stanthorpe’s green credentials of being powered 100 per cent by renewables will entice visitors to experience the sight of the majestic turbines slowly turning as well as then exploring and discovering the many other attractions the area has to offer.”
It is understood the turbines will be manufactured in Germany.
Mr Lucas has previously declined to disclose funding sources for the project but in March of this year said he was “working towards financial close”.
Mr Lucas resides in Brisbane’s south but operates a plumbing supplies businesses based in Sydney.
In March the Queensland Government recently issued environmental approvals for what would be the State’s biggest wind farm at completion, an estimated $500m project at Coopers Gap between Kingaroy and Dalby proposed by AGL.
Other wind farms are proposed for Mareeba in the State’s north, with small wind farms currently operating at Ravenshoe and Thursday Island.
Solar farm update
The developer behind a planned solar farm for Warwick on the Cunningham Highway north of town near the Caltex Roadhouse has been in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks working on similar projects in the desert kingdom.
Ahmed El Safty of Zero Energy Developments has approval for a $97 million solar farm across 80-acres on a block of land owned by William Dwan.
Mr El Safty has previously told the Free Times he expects to generate 20 “high value professional jobs” in the Warwick region and a further 50 positions comprising of trades personnel, plant operators and skilled labourers directly “and about the same indirectly”.
He told the Free Times this week his firm is “in the process of capital raising and we have progressed well with one party, which hopefully we will sign a mandate within the next two weeks”.
