Best practice guide for wind farms released for comment

The draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines have been released for public consultation by the Environment Protection and Heritage Standing Committee which comprises the CEOs of federal, state and territory environmental agencies. These draft guidelines are a basis for discussion and provide communities and industry a significant opportunity to help shape a best practice approach to wind farm developments in Australia. Comments on these guidelines are welcome from individuals, organisations and businesses.

The final draft of the guidelines will be considered by the Environment Protection and Heritage Standing Committee in April 2010 and thereafter by the Environment Protection and Heritage Council. The guidelines were developed in response to the Report on Environmentally and Socially Responsible Wind Farm Development, which identified the need for a national framework which would provide consistency and transparency in wind farm developments. Click here to view the guidelines.

The public consultation period is open from 28 October 2009 until 16 December 2009. The draft guidelines are available on the Environment Protection and Heritage Council website here.