A Danish Wind Farm expert visited Inverell last week to speak with the community about making the most of the new Sapphire Wind Farm.
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The 270 MW wind farm is set to begin construction this year and is predicted to become fully operational in the second half of 2018.
Søren Hermansen made a speech at the Inverell RSM Club and also visited students at Ross Hill Public School to discuss ways in which the community could “expand their vision” and get involved in the project.
“Wind is a big thing in Denmark … wind is kind of the centre of everything,” he said.
“In terms of development, I want to make people think about what it means to have a local energy plan and a master plan and how can you address all of the social, cultural and local problems in the community.”
The renewables expert said it is common for people in small communities to feel fear with such a large-scale project.
“I have found that in the beginning people are suspicious because they don’t know what it is and they fear the change a little bit,” he said.
“But this is new business that can happen here and also we have the space, the skill set ... all of this is what I want people to realise.
“To reflect on some of the challenges that we found in Denmark and how we dealt with this and the possibility of sustainability in general.”
He said information and education at the beginning of the process was crucial.
“It’s important to point out the opportunities that are opening because you can’t see them immediately,” he said.
“We need the local Council to understand what it means for the area as well … it’s not just about keeping it alive and administrating the daily life, it’s also about the future of this place and future of any place … you need to have a plan.”
Community Engagement Manager Lisa Stiebel said Mr Hermansen also focussed on “community investment”.
“In Denmark it’s actually legislated that wind developers have to allocate a portion of the investment to the community and it’s been very successful,” she said.
“The team will be launching a “discovery phase” for the community engagement in April involving information sessions and a survey. It’s never been done in Australia before.” The first blades for the wind farm are expected to start rolling through in September.
