The Great Australian Wind Rush and the Devaluation of Landscape Amenity

Abstract

Up until very recently-and in marked contrast to such countries as Spain, Denmark and Germany-Australia generated hardly any electricity from the wind. Driven largely by the mandatory targets embodied in the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 (Commonwealth) this situation is now changing. Australia has several operational small-to medium-sized wind energy power stations in Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. But-in the face of often strong local opposition-the Australian Wind Energy Association is keen to increase the number and scale of such projects. This paper outlines recent overseas developments in wind energy and then focuses on the environmental and planning dilemmas posed by this form of electricity production. Particular attention is focused on a highly controversial wind energy proposal in south-western Victoria, the Portland Wind Energy Project (PWEP). The argument presented is that wind is only one of a number of possible renewable energy options, that coastal landscapes are an 'endangered species', and that it is time for geographers to revisit methodologies concerned with evaluating landscape beauty and debating the place of landscape values within the ecologically sustainable development paradigm.

A survey of tourist attitudes to renewable energy supply in Australian hotel accommodation

“…10). This is contrary to the current perception of Australians generally possessing a negative attitude to wind projects as reported by Mercer [28]. The other interesting observation is the 'local' Australian acceptance of the wind farms, which equalled national Australian response.…”

“…Greek surveys show other variations to this general opposition, whereby mainland populations were, in general, strongly opposed to wind farms, but island populations were supportive [26]. Australian wind farm projects have a unique accolade of not only having extremely strong local opposition [28], but also face equally negative attitudes from local councils and state governments. An example of this administerial interference in Australia was the recent termination of a proposed wind farm in Bald Hills, Victoria [29,30].…”

Planning of renewables schemes: Deliberative and fair decision-making on landscape issues instead of reproachful accusations of non-cooperation

“…Hence, objections are mainly rooted in arguments concerning landscape characteristics and community identity (Woods, 2003;Mercer, 2003). Many examples can be found in the numerous case studies.…”

“We Don’t Take the Pledge”: Environmentality and environmental skepticism at the epicenter of US wind energy development

“…Much of this work examines the causes of local opposition, especially concerns for aesthetic impacts of wind turbines that lead to project failure (Solli, 2010;Gee, 2010;Aitken et al, 2008;Wolsink, 2010;Haggett, 2008;Hindmarsh and Matthews, 2008;Mercer, 2003;Bell et al, 2005;Haggett and Toke, 2006). Scholars have criticized the simplistic ''not-in-my-backyard'' (NIMBY) descriptions of opposition to wind farms (Wolsink, 2000(Wolsink, , 2007Abbott, 2010;Warren and McFayden, 2010), focusing instead on belief systems and the ''complex, multidimensional nature of public perceptions of wind farms'' (Devine-Wright, 2005, p. 129;Warren and Birnie, 2009;Jegen and Audet, 2011).…”