It’s not easy being green, but the Western Australian town of Mt Barker is doing a pretty good job.
The tiny Great Southern town is running on green power, after the official opening of the Mt Barker
Wind Farm on the weekend.
Western Australia Energy Minister Peter Collier says the three 800 kilowatt wind turbines, atop a hill on a sheep property just out of town, are expected to generate enough electricity to power up 1,500 homes – or all of the Mt Barker township.
“The facility is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 8,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year,” Mr Collier says.
The wind farm's owners Mt Barker Power Company and SkyFarming built the 73 metre tall wind generators that support the local electricity system.
Plantagenet Shire President Ken Clements says he thought the idea for a community wind farm located in the hinterland shire was crazy when it was first pitched to council, but he was eventually talked around.
He says there is now an amazing amount of pride in the community, knowing that the wind farm is supplying power to compensate for coal fired, carbon emitting stations that supply most of the area.
“We realize we must leave our children as clean an environment as possible,” he says.
Mr Clements expects the wind farm to boost the shire’s attraction to visitors. “You can see the towers from the shire offices, down the main street and from the main highway.
“Like the communication tower on Mt Barker Hill we believe this will become another focal point of interest for people coming to Plantagenet Shire.”
*Images supplied by SkyFarming Pty Ltd. Rainbow image taken by Charlie Lee and Shed image by Peter Auer.
