ARMIDALE Dumaresq councillor Margaret O’Connor said she was impressed by the rising future of clean energy in Australia after a whirlwind trip to Canberra last week.
Cr O’Connor joined the New England Community Windfarm Group’s tour to see first-hand how wind turbines operated.
“We looked at three different types of currently operating renewable energy, although the main focus was on wind energy,” she said.
“That’s because wind is currently the most cost-effective replacement for fossil-fuel derived energy and there are already a number of wind farming projects queued for development in New England.
“Some of the host landholders were on the tour and very keen to see and hear wind turbines up close.”
Cr O’Connor said most of the group were initially awed by the size of the turbines, which were about 80 metres high with blade spans of about 50 metres.
“However, the extremely quiet operation and minimal ground disturbance was impressive,” she said.
Cr O’Connor said she was pleased to hear from a farmer, standing beside one of the 10 turbines he hosted on his property, describe how much the wind income had secured his family’s economic future.
“He said that he used to really hate the wind on his farm, but now he knew it was helping his family stay viable for the next generation.”
The tour also looked at methane bio reactors and solar farming.
