BUYERS BEWARE OF WIND FARM DEVELOPMENTS

BUYERS BEWARE OF WIND FARM DEVELOPMENTS

The State Government must amend planning guidelines to ensure that people purchasing property are informed of any plans for wind farms on adjacent or nearby land.

Eastern Region MP Peter Hall said this week that a couple in his constituency had already been caught out, despite having made extensive inquiries before going through with a purchase.
“The incident with these constituents made it obvious to me that there is an urgent need to have in place formal mechanisms that show prospective wind farm developments are situated,” Mr Hall said.
“It is unfair to have someone purchase a property and then find out later a wind farm is planned for adjoining or nearby land.”

Mr Hall told Parliament this week that such an incident had been raised with him by constituents who looked at a 100-acre property.

“In preparation for the purchase of that property they checked property titles, all local planning schemes, the local council and undertook every reasonably expected level of diligence that one would expect.
“In all the diligence they did there was no indication of a wind farm being proposed in the vicinity of the property which they were intending to purchase. The council had no indication of such a wind farm.

“It was only after the purchase was complete that they literally stumbled on the fact that a 100-turbine wind farm was planned for property immediately adjoining that which they had recently purchased. I say 'stumbled' because during an internet search on soil types they came across an internet site that indicated that a particular company was planning to build a 100-turbine wind farm on the adjoining property.”

Mr Hall said when the couple searched further, they found the proposal mentioned on the Department of Primary Industries website. The site lists a whole range of wind energy projects and the status of each of those projects in Victoria.

“It seemed to me that no authority, except for the Department of Primary Industries, had any idea that this was the proposed location for a wind farm. It puts property purchasers at a great disadvantage. They should be able to find out if a planning permit or a wind farm is being proposed for adjoining property as part of their normal evaluation before purchase.”

Mr Hall said the incident demonstrated the need for an amendment to the planning guidelines for wind farms in Victoria, with mechanisms put in place to alert intending property purchasers of prospective wind farm developments.

Mr Hall has asked the State Government to act on the matter “with a sense of urgency” to ensure other people are not disadvantaged.