Windfarm stake offer

Landholders could get a share in Lakeland project

THE developer of a proposed $200 million windfarm at Lakeland – about 250km north-west of Cairns – is offering a free 1.5 per cent ownership stake in the venture to nearby landholders.

The Lakeland Windfarm proposal includes up to 35 wind turbines and is about 60km south-west of Cooktown.

If approved, construction is planned to start in 2018 and create more than 100 jobs.

Renewable energy technology firm Windlab says the windfarm will generate enough power to supply more than 50,000 homes based on average consumption and average production over a year.

Windmills 240m high will soon be seen about 7km northwest of Lakeland. About 40 hectares of solar panels will be switched on this month to supply 13 megawatts of electricity to the grid from the recently completed Lakeland Solar and Storage facility. A community meeting held at Lakeland last week raised concerns about the windfarm.

Lakeland grazier Joy Marriott told the meeting she had nearly completed construction of a caravan park on her property and was concerned about the ambient noise.

Lakeland resident Beth Bennett said the towers should be built on top of the range.

“We don’t want these structures near the town,” she said.

Katter’s Australian Party candidate for Cook Gordon Rasmussen said there was concern about the windfarm being close to homes.

“I wasn’t buying into either for or against arguments except that I thought it was pretty average that the carrot that they are giving residents is a 1.5 per cent share in the investment to only 40 people,” he said. “Those 40 people are the people that are nearest to the windfarm and 1.5 per cent is nothing particularly when you consider the debt to equity ratio.”

Windlab chief executive officer Roger Price said the company was excited to be working with the community.

“Lakeland has an exceptional wind resource which is a rare and important find in Queensland to ensure a cost effective, reliable future network,” he said.

“Between Lakeland and Kennedy Energy Park we look forward to North Queensland becoming a net exporter of clean, emission-free power to Queensland and Australia.”