Key Points:
Draft planning guidelines for wind farms in NSW could
make approval processes more complex and time-consuming, set
possibly the world's strictest noise standards, and limit
opportunities for placing wind turbines within 2km of a
residence.
The NSW Government released draft Planning Guidelines for Wind
Farms shortly before Christmas, proposing significant requirements
for wind farm approval processes and operations. If the Government
adopts them:
- approval processes could become more complex and
time-consuming,
- new noise standards, which are possibly the strictest for wind
farms in the world, would apply; and
- wind turbines could not be located within 2km of a residence
unless the relevant land-owner consents or the proponent obtains a
site compatibility certificate.
