SECURING OUR FUTURE - KIAMA GREENS POLICY

South Coast Community Wind Power

Aspiration:-

To establish a wind power manufacturing, maintenance and generation industry on the South Coast, where the community owns the generation capacity and benefits through long-term employment, skills creation and financially from the sale of excess energy.

Kiama Greens Recognise-:

  1. Combatting climate change will demand a high rate of uptake of alternative, sustainable, zero or low emission electricity generation alternatives to current fossil fuel based generators.

  2. the high level of inefficiencies of transmitting electricity over long distances and the need to smaller, local generation capacity;

  3. that with the onset of a post Peak oil economy and associated steeply rising fuel costs, local employment will become a serious economic imperative:

  4. the social, family and economic cost to individuals and local business, of travelling long distances for employment as increasing number of Kiama residents

  5. the negative impact on local business and services to residents that the lack of employment opportunities has on community viability;

  6. the need for alternative income streams to maintain the viability of local councils and prevent amalgamations.

  7. The high suitability of the South Coast wind patterns to a wind power generation.

  8. Farmers need a steady source of income, that would particularly assist during transition periods to new and diversified agricultural enterprises.
Kiama Greens on Kiama Council will work to: 
  1. encourage the establishment of a an alternative energy, including wind power, manufacturing, maintenance and generation industry on the South Coast in association with other proximate LGAs; and

  2. investigate the possibility of community owned generation capacity (owned by local councils) where profits are returned to local councils along lines similar to the long established Danish wind power model.

  3. determine sites for wind turbines by proper community education and consultation beforehand, along the lines of the successful Danish model 

  4. Landholders are paid an annual rate for wind turbines sited on their properties.

Click here for Ben's Fact Sheet on Windpower

Download Windpower Fact Sheet