Construction will soon begin on the nation's largest wind farm to be built in two years, but frustrated residents say they are bearing the brunt of Australia's push for net zero.
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they → begin → zero
The Gawara Baya wind farm includes 68 turbines and a 100-megawatt battery spread over 148 hectares near the 100,000-year-old dormant volcano Mount Fox in north Queensland.
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farm → include → Queensland
Danish investors Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) acquired the project from WindLab earlier this month, announcing funding was ready and construction would begin "imminently".
Energy experts say the development is a breakthrough towards the federal government's 2030 renewables goal.
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development → acquire → goal
Net zero 'dream'
Mount Fox near Ingham has about 84 residents and neighbours the world heritage listed Wet Tropics.
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Fox → have → Tropics
"I wake up every morning and there's big trees and open spaces and all you hear is nature in all its diversity," resident Kim Armstrong said.
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Armstrong → wake → diversity
Ms Armstrong said she was worried about the impact of the 140-metre turbines on the region's biodiversity, human and environmental health, run-off onto the Great Barrier Reef and what would happen to the turbines after their 35-year life cycle.
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what → say → cycle
"I don't think a lot of Australians really understand exactly what it takes to put a wind farm up and the destruction that it causes," she said.
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she → think → that
Ms Armstrong said Mount Fox residents were on the frontline of Australia's energy wars, pursuing the "dream" of net zero because of political decisions made 2,000 kilometres away in Canberra by people she did not vote for.
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she → say → people
She said people in cities thought "we have to do this for climate change" and resisting labelled her a "climate denier".
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we → say → her
"That's not the case at all," she said.
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she → say → ?
Ms Armstrong founded community group Keep Mount Fox Wild, which she said included about half of the town's residents.
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she → found → residents
We just don't want them," she said.
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she → want → them
Rigorous environmental assessment
CIP project CEO Mark Branson said the project met strict government regulations.
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project → say → regulations
"We understand that not everybody in the region is a fan of wind farms and this is always the case," he said.
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he → understand → farms
"But we know we have a really good foundation for the project in terms of the rigorous environmental assessment that has been done, all the community consultation that's been done, all the engagement with the local businesses and councils."
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that → know → businesses
He said construction would create about 500 jobs, with most workers to be housed at an onsite village.
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workers → say → village
Mr Branson said Gawara Baya was paving the way for new wind projects to replace aging coal assets.
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Baya → say → assets
"Projects like Gawara Baya are really critical in making sure we've got enough electricity to feed into the grid and power people's homes, to power industry and make sure we've got stable electricity supply into the future," he said.
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he → make → future
Breakthrough in wind pipeline
This project is the first wind farm to reach construction under the federal government's Capacity Investment Scheme and represents a breaking of a deadlock, according to Grattan Institute climate and energy program director Alison Reeve.
"The hope of the industry is that this project is a sign that that pipeline is finally moving and that this is going to be the first of quite a lot of projects, particularly on the east coast, that will now start to get built," Ms Reeve said.
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Reeve → reach → coast
Under the scheme, which aims to help achieve the target of 82 per cent renewables by 2030, the government guarantees the price for electricity, subsidising the producer if electricity prices fall and sharing in profits if prices rise above a certain price.
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prices → aim → price
This reduces perceived investor risk.
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This → reduce → risk
Also reducing risk, Ms Reeve said the Gawara Baya project had two companies that had agreed to purchase some of the electricity created, rather than the typical one company.
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that → reduce → company
Diversity of industry
Hinchinbrook Shire Council deputy mayor and Chamber of Commerce president, Mary Brown, said community consultation meetings had been well attended.
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meetings → say → Commerce
"I have not been aware of any negative feedback from the community," Cr Brown said.
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Brown → say → community
According to the Canegrowers industry body, about one in three jobs in Ingham are in the sugar industry.
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jobs → accord → industry
Cr Brown said she was most excited about the project's potential for local investment and diversification.
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she → say → investment
"To have projects of this kind, which don't happen very often, which provide some additional opportunity for the businesses to expand their capacity … there's excitement in that," she said.
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she → have → that
She said the community realised the economic benefits of major projects during the recent construction of the Powerlink transmission line.
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community → say → line
"The community saw then the opportunities that were available to them," she said.
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she → see → them
"We saw substantial benefits — whether it be from accommodation or hospitality …
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it → see → accommodation
It was right across the board to value-add to our existing economy," she said.
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she → add → economy
Residents continue fight
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Residents → continue → fight
Ms Armstrong said despite the community consultations, regulatory approvals and the company ticking "all the boxes", the fight was not over.
"I'm really optimistic about stopping it," she said.
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she → say → it
"Why would you do this and ruin this land for the future?
"If I have to lie down in front of a bulldozer, you know.
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you → do → bulldozer
It can't happen.
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It → happen → ?
The Aporia
