Construction Update
Over the last few months, we have received quite a few questions about what is going on with the Delburn Wind Farm and if it is still going ahead. While it may not appear that a great deal has been happening, a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes. To get ready to build the wind farm we have been completing detailed planning and engineering design works, finalising the management plans required to comply with the Planning Permits, many of which need to be endorsed by the Minister for Planning and/or Minister for the Environment and preparing detailed contract documentation.
Field surveys and geotechnical investigations have been completed to assist with the design work. At each turbine location, boreholes have been drilled to a depth of 20 metres and test pits dug along road and cable routes. Thermal resistivity testing has also been completed along the cable routes. The information gathered has been used to design the civil engineering works and the underground electrical infrastructure. All geotechnical investigation works were completed under the supervision of GunaiKurnai Cultural Officers, as required by the approved Cultural Heritage Management Plan.
Construction is estimated to take between 18 months and two-years and is currently scheduled to commence in the second half of this year. The first 12 months of construction will be civil works involving building internal roads, upgrading public roads and placing underground cables before the towers, turbine components and blades are delivered to site. The detailed construction schedule cannot be finalised until after the contract has been awarded. Once the lead contract has been awarded, we will advise the community and notify the hundreds of individuals and suppliers who have registered to work with us on how they can be involved in the wind farm’s construction.
Fire Detection Cameras
The 2024/25 summer has been a busy fire season and our fire detection cameras have picked up many incidents in and around the plantation. The cameras operate 24 hours a day, utilising visual detection technology during the day and infra-red technology at night. If a fire is detected, wind farm employees, CFA District Duty Officers and HVP’s Fire Officer are alerted. Emergency services are then advised via 000, in line with all current emergency advice for fire in the state.
The fire detection system is able to produce a video of any incident detected that can be shared via email or SMS. During a recent fire incident, a video was shared with the local CFA Captain who was able to identify the precise location of the fire, reducing the brigades response time. Video footage has also been provided to assist Victoria Police arson investigators after the detection of several suspicious fires in the area. Although this has proven to be an important secondary benefit from the camera technology, the main purpose of the camera installation is to reduce the time it takes for a fire to be detected and to assist emergency services in their response.
Join the Community Consultative Committee
Residents from the Yinnar and Thorpdale areas are invited to join the Delburn Wind Farm Community Consultative Committee (CCC) to ensure we hear the views of community members from all around the wind farm. CCC members are encouraged to talk with other community members and be able to share feedback with the wind farm project team. Membership is voluntary and meetings are held on a monthly basis for approximately two hours either in person or online. The meetings provide a forum for information sharing, discussion and input into the wind farm project. This is one of several ways you can provide feedback, ask questions, share concerns and suggestions with us.
Anyone interested in joining the CCC can email [email protected] or call 1800 676 428. Minutes and presentations for all CCC Meetings can be found here.
Your Questions Answered
At each CCC meeting, questions raised by the community are brought to the project team and discussed. These discussions are used to inform any updates needed for the Frequently Asked Questions section of the website. At the most recent CCC meeting the following questions were discussed:
Do the turbines contain built-in fire detection and alarms?
The turbines are required to include in-built fire protection and suppression systems, remote alarming and notification systems. This is a condition of the wind farm planning permits.
What happens if a turbine is struck by lightning and the blade comes off, as recently seen at Berrybank Wind Farm?
The incident at Berrybank Wind Farm is currently being investigated by WorkSafe. Once the investigation is complete, any industry wide recommendations will be issued by WorkSafe. The planning permits for the Delburn Wind Farm require the inclusion of lightning conductors on all turbines to dissipate electricity to the ground.
In the Community
Many community groups who received a Delburn Wind Farm grant have now put their funding to good use. The Mirboo North Pony Club have a new arena rake which is making it much easier for volunteers to maintain the surface of their two arenas. Boolarra Football Netball Club purchased a new defibrillator for their club rooms and for community use. The Mirboo North Market Committee has received funds to hire musicians to entertain people attending the monthly market. The Western Port Biosphere used a grant to support the revegetation of two properties by planting hundreds of native eucalyptus koala trees to extend the much-needed habitat for the Strzelecki koala population and other wildlife across the region.
Delburn Wind Farm project team members have been meeting with several Federal Candidates running for the seat of Monash to provide project updates. This included Mary Aldred, Liberal candidate for Monash and Deb Leonard, Independent candidate for Monash. Briefings have been offered to a number of other candidates.
