STORY by KATE BASTIANS
PERTH city council has knocked back an application for a wind turbine atop an office building on the corner of Terrace Road and Victoria Avenue.
The city was swamped with calls and emails from locals worried about noise and their views.
56 letters of objection were received and residents applauded the council’s unanimous decision on Tuesday.
Council staff had recommended approval after the applicants successfully appealed the city’s 2008 decision to refuse their bid for three wind turbines on the building.
The State Administrative Tribunal “considered the turbines would have acceptable visual and acoustic amenity impacts.”
Lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi said she was all for encouraging renewable energies but felt the turbine was “tokenistic” rather than a genuine crack at sustainability.
Cr Rob Butler agreed, pointing out the turbine would only generate a fraction of the overall energy needs of the building.
He described the turbine as a “symbolic” gesture by Stockland to get ahead in the green building stakes, rather than truly caring about being eco-friendly.
Stockland spokesperson Katie Lennon said the turbine would “raise environmental awareness among the tenants at the building and the general public.”
She said the company had hoped to “set a benchmark for future developments and hopes to demonstrate and encourage investment in innovative technologies.”
WA Sustainable Energy Association chief Ray Wills backed her up.
He says having more turbines on city buildings helps to raise “urban awareness” about renewable technology which isn’t achieved when wind and solar farms are out of sight in remote areas.
“The more people to start generating energy on their roof the more they start thinking about energy efficiency.
Mr Wills rejects the notion Europe is sourcing most of its energy from large-scale wind and solar farms.
He says the roll out of solar power in Germany involves individual homes installing panels with the feed in tariff system.
On-site renewable energy forms reduce infrastructure costs, he adds.
“Think about a house with sunshine beating down on it all day…why build wires from 300 km away to get energy for house when the energy is already there?” he posed.
Ms Scaffidi questioned with Stockland couldn’t have built a less noisy renewable energy source that wouldn’t rile the locals.
Mr Wills said the turbine would be as noisy as a standard air-conditioner with the added bonus of not running at night.
