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Liberal senator wants windfarm inquiry to recognise 'adverse health effects' Liberal senator wants windfarm inquiry to recognise 'adverse health effects'
(35 minutes later)
A new federal inquiry could call for commonwealth oversight of windfarm regulations and demand recognition of the alleged health impacts of turbines on people living near them, according to Coalition senators.A new federal inquiry could call for commonwealth oversight of windfarm regulations and demand recognition of the alleged health impacts of turbines on people living near them, according to Coalition senators.
The prime minister, Tony Abbott, dismayed the wind industry on Thursday when he told Sydney radio announcer Alan Jones that he wished the government had been able to reduce the number of new windfarms more than was possible in a recent renewable energy deal with Labor, and agreed windfarms had “potential health impacts”.The prime minister, Tony Abbott, dismayed the wind industry on Thursday when he told Sydney radio announcer Alan Jones that he wished the government had been able to reduce the number of new windfarms more than was possible in a recent renewable energy deal with Labor, and agreed windfarms had “potential health impacts”.
The government had previously claimed it was demanding a reduction in the renewable energy target because the industry would be unable to meet it.The government had previously claimed it was demanding a reduction in the renewable energy target because the industry would be unable to meet it.
West Australian Liberal backbencher Chris Back, who sits on the new senate select inquiry into windfarms, said it was looking at “what role the federal Clean Energy Regulator [CER] should have in checking that wind farms are compliant with state laws and guidelines.”West Australian Liberal backbencher Chris Back, who sits on the new senate select inquiry into windfarms, said it was looking at “what role the federal Clean Energy Regulator [CER] should have in checking that wind farms are compliant with state laws and guidelines.”
Back said he believed the CER should check whether windfarms are complying with the law, and could do so without contravening the state’s constitutional powers to make decisions about land use. And the major outcome he was hoping for from the committee – chaired by independent senator John Madigan and set up with Coalition support – was “a recognition that there are adverse health effects on people living in the vicinity of industrial wind turbines ... that it honours the concerns and experiences of all the witness that are clearly affected.”Back said he believed the CER should check whether windfarms are complying with the law, and could do so without contravening the state’s constitutional powers to make decisions about land use. And the major outcome he was hoping for from the committee – chaired by independent senator John Madigan and set up with Coalition support – was “a recognition that there are adverse health effects on people living in the vicinity of industrial wind turbines ... that it honours the concerns and experiences of all the witness that are clearly affected.”
Back also said he also wanted assurances that new independent research on the health effects of windfarms – for which the Coalition promised $2.5m at the last election – will be “truly independent.”Back also said he also wanted assurances that new independent research on the health effects of windfarms – for which the Coalition promised $2.5m at the last election – will be “truly independent.”
Related: No evidence people affected by sound emitted by wind turbines, inquiry told
In a report released in February, the National Health and Medical Research Council concluded that “there is currently no consistent evidence that windfarms cause adverse health effects in humans”.In a report released in February, the National Health and Medical Research Council concluded that “there is currently no consistent evidence that windfarms cause adverse health effects in humans”.
The NHMRC is also responsible for implementing the Coalition’s election pledge and is offering grants worth $500,000 for five years for more research on windfarms and human health.The NHMRC is also responsible for implementing the Coalition’s election pledge and is offering grants worth $500,000 for five years for more research on windfarms and human health.
Back says he is “extremely dissatisfied” with the NHMRC’s previous literature reviews and studies, which he believes “lacked balance”.Back says he is “extremely dissatisfied” with the NHMRC’s previous literature reviews and studies, which he believes “lacked balance”.
Queensland Liberal National Party senator Matthew Canavan agreed the CER “could be given powers to penalise windfarms if they are in breach of their approval conditions.”Queensland Liberal National Party senator Matthew Canavan agreed the CER “could be given powers to penalise windfarms if they are in breach of their approval conditions.”
Canavan said he thought the grants should possibly be distributed by an independent panel because “people feel their concerns have already been dismissed by the statement the NHMRC made at the outset.”Canavan said he thought the grants should possibly be distributed by an independent panel because “people feel their concerns have already been dismissed by the statement the NHMRC made at the outset.”
A Sydney University review of 25 studies into the possible health effects of wind turbines found none had produced evidence they were detrimental to human health and in 2014 the Australian Medical Association issued a statement saying the available evidence did not support the idea that windfarm noise harmed human health.A Sydney University review of 25 studies into the possible health effects of wind turbines found none had produced evidence they were detrimental to human health and in 2014 the Australian Medical Association issued a statement saying the available evidence did not support the idea that windfarm noise harmed human health.
Back said that like the prime minister he would like to see fewer wind turbines and more encouragement for other kinds of renewable energy, such as large scale solar, or upgrades for existing hydro projects.Back said that like the prime minister he would like to see fewer wind turbines and more encouragement for other kinds of renewable energy, such as large scale solar, or upgrades for existing hydro projects.
Speaking on Thursday to the Sydney radio host Alan Jones – a long-term windfarm critic – the prime minister said: “I do take your point about the potential health impact of these things … when I’ve been up close to these windfarms not only are they visually awful but they make a lot of noise.Speaking on Thursday to the Sydney radio host Alan Jones – a long-term windfarm critic – the prime minister said: “I do take your point about the potential health impact of these things … when I’ve been up close to these windfarms not only are they visually awful but they make a lot of noise.
Related: The beauty of windfarms – in pictures
“What we did recently in the Senate was to reduce, Alan, capital R-E-D-U-C-E, the number of these things that we are going to get in the future … I frankly would have likely to have reduced the number a lot more but we got the best deal we could out of the Senate and if we hadn’t had a deal, Alan, we would have been stuck with even more of these things …“What we did recently in the Senate was to reduce, Alan, capital R-E-D-U-C-E, the number of these things that we are going to get in the future … I frankly would have likely to have reduced the number a lot more but we got the best deal we could out of the Senate and if we hadn’t had a deal, Alan, we would have been stuck with even more of these things …
“What we are managing to do through this admittedly imperfect deal with the Senate is to reduce the growth rate of this particular sector as much as the current Senate would allow us to do.”“What we are managing to do through this admittedly imperfect deal with the Senate is to reduce the growth rate of this particular sector as much as the current Senate would allow us to do.”
He said the RET had been “put in place in the late days of the Howard government” and “knowing what we know now I don’t think we would have done things this way, but at the time we thought it was the right way forward”.He said the RET had been “put in place in the late days of the Howard government” and “knowing what we know now I don’t think we would have done things this way, but at the time we thought it was the right way forward”.
The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, said the comments would create investor uncertainty. “There’s Tony Abbott at it again,” he said. “Now he’s anti-windmills.The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, said the comments would create investor uncertainty. “There’s Tony Abbott at it again,” he said. “Now he’s anti-windmills.
“Renewable energy is part of Australia’s current energy mix … When you’re the leader of Australia you don’t always have the chance to, I think, just have thought bubbles. You’ve got to create investment certainty. What will the renewable energy investors in wind power now think, knowing Australia is run by a bloke who says he doesn’t like windmills?”“Renewable energy is part of Australia’s current energy mix … When you’re the leader of Australia you don’t always have the chance to, I think, just have thought bubbles. You’ve got to create investment certainty. What will the renewable energy investors in wind power now think, knowing Australia is run by a bloke who says he doesn’t like windmills?”