Wilkie wants Libs to roll PM on wind

INDEPENDENT MP Andrew Wilkie says Tasmania’s federal Liberal politicians should challenge Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s stance against wind farms to boost the state’s chances of becoming Australia’s renewable energy powerhouse.

Mr Wilkie spoke out yesterday after it was revealed that Mr Abbott — who has criticised “ugly” wind farms — had told the Clean Energy Finance Corporation not to bankroll new wind-power projects.

“Tasmania’s Liberal MPs need to stand up, criticise this decision and try and overturn it, not blindly support Mr Abbott’s shrill and reckless stance,” Mr Wilkie said.

“Wind farms are an important part of the renewable energy mix and are as much about jobs as they are the environment. Wind has been, and can be, a lucrative industry for Tasmania.”

Australian Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson said he was dismayed by Mr Abbott’s stance.

“Tasmania has been shown to have some of the best sites for wind technology in the world,” he said.

“The corporation was set up to fund low-risk projects, not emerging technologies as the Federal Government now seems to be suggesting.”

The Government is believed to be negotiating with the CEFC board to change its investment mandate and that, once finalised, it will be tabled in Parliament.

The corporation has already pumped $300 million into wind farms, and proposals worth $8.7 billion are due to be funded across the nation over the next five years.

There are two wind farm proposals worth a combined $450 million on the drawing board in Tasmania.

A $200 million 36-turbine project for Granville, near Zeehan, is close to construction.

However, the other, at Cattle Hill in the Central Highlands, depends on financial backing.

A Tasmanian Government spokesman said the Government was strongly supportive of wind farm investment.

“None of Tasmania’s existing wind farms have required finance from the CEFC and we are confident that commercially viable wind projects in Tasmania will continue to be able to access finance from investors,” the spokesman said.

Federal Opposition environment spokesman Mark Butler claimed the Coalition Government’s “war against the wind industry” was putting jobs and investment at risk.

Mr Butler said Mr Abbott and fellow “wind haters’’ were trying to bring down the industry.