The Lal Lal Environment Protection Association has supported a western Victorian MP’s call for independent noise testing for wind farms.
Liberal MP Simon Ramsay wants the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to regulate noise during and after the construction of a 64-turbine farm at Lal Lal, raising the issue in State Parliament earlier this month.
“At present, the planning minister is responsible for independent noise monitoring and compliance, yet the normal agency for matters of pollution, regardless of whether it is air, noise or waste, is the EPA,” Mr Ramsay said.
Lal Lal Environment Protection Association spokesman John McMahon said he was pleased there was ‘‘a possibility’’ of independent noise testing for the Lal Lal development.
“We want the government to take charge,” he said.
WestWind’s planned Lal Lal wind farm was approved by then planning minister Justin Madden in 2010. The company has until April 2017 to build the turbines. “No one other than the wind companies themselves are measuring the noise levels,’’ Mr McMahon said.
“They’re meant to measure them and rectify any infringements, but they have no incentive to do so.”
Mr McMahon said more than 1000 people had expressed their support for independent noise testing to the group.
“There’s concern about the potential danger of audible wind facility noise and infrasound to neighbours … the health of nearby residents needs to be better considered.”
Moorabool Environment Group president Rose De La Cruz said there was no evidence that wind farms caused medical problems.
“There are some who have anecdotal evidence of headaches … but these have not been proved to be caused by wind turbines,” she said.
Last month, the Victorian Wind Alliance said ongoing monitoring of noise levels would not be necessary once turbines were running and initial testing was done.
Mr Ramsay said he would wait for a response from the planning minister before raising the matter again on May 27.
