Cherry Tree Wind Farm
Planning Application: P306963/12
Address: 595 Homewood Road and 870 Kobyboyn Road Whiteheads Creek and 410 and 900 Greenslopes Road, Trawool
The proposal is for:
- Construction of 16 wind turbines with a height of approximately 159 metres (poles height of 100 metres and blade height of 59 metres)
- Associated infrastructure including a substation, overhead and underground cabling, site office and an operations building
- Earthworks to allow access to the site
- Removal of native vegetation to facilitate access and infrastructure on the site
More detailed information on the proposal is available in the documents below. Please be aware that some of the attached files exceed 70 MB and may take considerable time to download depending on your system's connection speed.
The applicant, Cherry Tree Wind Farm Pty Ltd, has appealed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
VCAT Hearing
Council received notification in October 2012 that the application for review had been lodged with VCAT and that it would be included on the Major Cases List.
A Practice Day Hearing was held on 9 November 2012 which established some procedural requirements for the circulation of amended plans and expert evidence to be relied on at the Hearing.
The VCAT proceeding commenced on 29 January 2013 and concluded on 18 March 2013. VCAT has deferred its decision on the matter and will provide a written decision in due course. A copy of the decision will be made available to all parties.
In the course of the hearing, the Tribunal indicated that it intended to consider a study carried out by University of Sydney by Professors Chapman and others (Chapman study).
In order to provide all the parties with an opportunity to comment on the study, the Tribunal directed that:
- any party that wishes to respond to the matters raised in the Chapman study may do so by Monday, 25 March 2013, in written form and circulated to the other parties
- Council is to publish a copy of the report on its website (see link below)
- unrepresented parties can get access to the report on Council's website
- any unrepresented parties provide a copy of their written submissions to Mr Tim Power, c/- Herbert Smith Freehils, GPO Box 128, Melbourne Victoria 3000.
A copy of the Chapman study is publically available on the University of Sydney's website at the following link: http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/8977
This report is a publication of University of Sydney and is publically available from the University of Sydney's website by downloading the file titles "Complaints FINAL.pdf"
VCAT Amended Information
The associated plans and evidence that were relied on as part of the Hearing are attached below:
VCAT Witness Statements
The following witness statements have been served and are to be relied on as part of the Hearing:
Mitchell Shire Council
The Applicant - Cherry Tree Wind Farm Pty Lytd
Other parties
Department of Sustainability and Environment
Background on the application
Council received the application for the use and development of a wind farm in Trawool / Whiteheads Creek in April 2012 and after seeking further information from the applicant sought community feedback on the proposal.
A Public Information Session was held in August and provided an informal opportunity for members of the community to drop in a view the application information and to discuss the proposal with planning officers and the applicant. Approximately 60 people attended the session.
Council received approximately 110 objections to the proposal and five letters in support of the proposal.
More information on the proposal is available in the documents below, and you may also view the planning application documentation at the following Mitchell Shire locations:
- Seymour Library, 125 Anzac Avenue, Seymour
- Broadford Customer Service Centre, 113 High Street, Broadford
- Wallan Customer Service Centre, Wellington Square, Wallan
For more information please contact:
Statutory Planning
Phone: (03) 5734 6200
Email: mitchell@mitchellshire.vic.gov.au