Macedon Energy Futures Survey Acknowledgments Report authors: Leigh Ewbank (Yes 2 Renewables coordinator) and Marie Lakey (Yes 2 Renewables) Editor: Ben Courtice Thanks: Cam Walker (Friends of the Earth Australia), Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group, Riddells Creek Sustainability Group and supporters. Yes 2 Renewables is a project of Friends of the Earth (Melbourne). Please support our work with a donation: www.givenow.com.au/foeyes2renewables Introduction In 2011, the Victorian government introduced the world’s toughest wind farm restrictions. Its amendments to the Victoria Planning Provisions effectively banned wind farms in large swathes of the state, thwarting both community-initiated and commercial projects. The Coalition government’s justification for the restrictions on wind farms was to empower communities in the decision-making process and protect areas with high tourism value. On face value these explanations seem reasonable, yet importantly, the government introduced anti-wind farm laws without conducting any community consultation, investigating the views of tourists or economic impact assessment. There is another dimension to policymaking to consider alongside the preferences of community and economy. Worsening climate change science forms the backdrop to the Coalition government’s anti-wind farm policies. Indicators of climatic stability are still heading in the wrong direction. In May 2013, global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide passed the 400 parts per million threshold - the highest level in three million years. Fires, floods, storms and heatwaves exacerbated by climate change have already cost Victoria $19.9 billion dollars over the last decade.i Victoria is among the most polluting states in the developed world. The state’s high greenhouse gas contributions are principally due to the use of heavily polluting brown coal-fired plants to generate electricity. Clean and safe, wind power is the most mature and affordable renewable energy technology. Installing more wind energy capacity is the most cost-effective way to quickly reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels. This approach offers Victoria the most ‘bang-for-its-buck’ when it comes to decarbonising the economy. The Macedon Ranges region was one of the areas hit hardest by the restrictions for wind energy development. The seat of Macedon was cut in half by a blanket ban on wind farms that killed off two commercial projects and a proposed community-owned wind farm near Woodend. The government’s lack of public consultation has forced community members to take action into their own hands. If the government won’t engage with the community about their preferred energy sources and appropriate development, then the community will undertake its own research. Over four months, volunteers surveyed over 600 residents and visitors to the seat of Macedon. Those surveyed were asked to identify their preferred energy sources, as well as their views toward community- owned wind farms and the government’s restrictions on wind energy. The Macedon Energy Futures Survey demonstrates a strong preference for renewable energy among residents and visitors. The survey documents high support for community-owned wind farms and a strong appetite for the Coalition government’s anti-wind farm laws to be repealed. What are the anti-wind farm laws? In 2011, the Baillieu government made four key changes to the Victoria Planning Provisions that have had material impacts on the wind energy sector. The VC82 amendments: • Established an unprecedented right of veto for householders. Proposed wind turbines can be blocked up to 2 kilometres away. Householders are not beholden to the objectives of the Planning and Environment Act 1987. There is no avenue of appeal for proponents. • Created large ‘no-go’ zones for wind farms. These include: The Macedon-McHarg Ranges, the Great Ocean Road, the South Gippsland Coast, the Yarra Ranges, and the Mornington and Ballarine Peninsulas. • Created large exclusion zones of 5kms around 21 Victorian regional towns. • Made it difficult to extend or make changes to approved projects.ii The VC78 amendment: • Made local councils the responsible authority for assessing wind farm projects—transferred from the minister and the Department of Planning. Community wind farms blocked by anti-wind farm laws Community-owned wind farms give locals a stake in their own energy future, and create jobs and income for communities. However, the Coaltion’s anti-wind farm laws effectively killed off all the existing community wind farm projects in Victoria. Community-owned energy delivers significant benefit to regional economies. The Hepburn Wind farm, which operates in the west of the seat of Macedon, procured more than $7 million worth of local content—more than half of which was sourced from regional Victorian towns. The WISE Wind Farm Proposal The Woodend Integrated Sustainable Energy (WISE) is a project of the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group. The MRSG set out to follow in the footsteps of the successful Hepburn Wind farm by building a community-owned wind farm nearby Woodend in a pine plantation that will soon be harvested. The project would generate enough clean electricity to power 3,300 households. The Macedon Ranges Sustainability Groups proposal was killed off by the arbitrary blanket ban on wind farms in the Macedon Ranges. The proposed community wind farm in Woodend would have created: • 30 construction jobs • 6 on going jobs for the 30-year life of the project • $151,000 worth of flow-on economic benefits to the region • Up to $45,000 worth of community grant funds • $24,000 worth of drought-proof income for wind farm hosts • Enough clean electricity to power all the homes and businesses in Woodend, Macedon, Mt Macedon and Newham. Hepburn Wind: A case study in community wind farms In 2010, Australia’s first community wind farm was built on farmland at Leonards Hill, near Daylesford, started generating clean, renewable electricity. Despite many challenges, the community’s overwhelming support for renewable energy helped the project become a reality. The success story that is Hepburn Wind has inspired other to follow in their footsteps.iii Project overview The Hepburn Community Wind Park Co-operative (Hepburn Wind) comprises two turbines with a combined capacity of 4.1 MW. It generates enough electricity to power 2,300 homes. The local community owns the wind farm through Hepburn Wind. The co-operative manages the wind farm, provides financial returns to its members and funds community projects through a community fund. The co-operative structure allows for wide-scale community involvement. Hepburn Wind’s 2,000 co-operative members contributed $9.8 million to the construction of the wind farm. The Victorian state government has provided grants totaling $1.725 million and the Bendigo Bank a $3.1 million loan. Raising such a large sum has been a significant achievement, particularly for a project that was an Australian first. It shows other communities a new way of funding and developing wind energy resources, through direct investment from small investors and local communities who want to support local renewable energy. Quick Facts • Since 2011 Hepburn Wind have funded 37 local projects with grants totaling $72,000. • The host farmer receives $10,000 per year in drought-proof income. • Hepburn Wind farm produces enough electricity to power 2,300 homes—equal to all the homes in Daylesford and Hepburn. Awards and Recognition • 2010 Innovator of the Year Award • 2011 Clean Energy Future national • 2011 Victorian Premier’s Sustainability advertising campaign Award • 2012 World Wind Energy Award • 2011 Banksia Environmental Award • 2012 UN International Year of Co- • 2011 Australian Sustainability Award operative (Australian flagship project) Methodology Volunteers from Yes 2 Renewables, Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group and Riddells Creek Sustainability Group surveyed residents and visitors to the shire at markets situated in the electorate of Macedon. Surveying was conducted in Lancefield, Woodend, Kyneton, Riddells Creek, and Gisborne. The survey focused on capturing the preferred energy sources of participants, as well as gauging their support for community wind farms, awareness of the government’s restrictions on wind farms, and their views on the restrictions. The survey results where digitised to allow data to be divided into locals and tourists categories to isolate the views of each group. The survey collected 608 responses, 80 of which were visitors to the shire. The survey captured the views from across the electorate. Macedon Energy Futures Survey: Community Views Q1: Please rank the following energy sources in order of preference (1 to 5): Those living in the seat of Macedon significantly prefer renewable energy sources to fossil fuels. Solar (74 per cent) and wind (20 per cent) accounted for 94 per cent of the first ranking. With the addition of hydropower, 97 per cent of respondents selected renewable energy sources as their first preference. The survey found weak support for fossil fuels in Macedon. Brown coal was the least preferred energy source with 87 per cent of local respondents raking it last. Gas power was the second least preferred option with 78 per cent raking is last. When combined, 96 per cent of respondents ranked coal and gas last. Q2: Do you support more renewaBle energy in Victoria? There is a strong among Macedon residents for more renewable energy. An overwhelming majority of people want more renewable energy generation