Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Hansard source

This is a submission made by Minister Hulls’s own department saying that the birds would in fact fly through the site and would go through the rotor-swept areas. Senator Allison interjects: ‘These birds are sensible; they know how to avoid them.’ There are three dead wedge-tailed eagles lying on the ground in northern Tasmania now, and here is a species with 50 breeding pairs left on the planet. It is worth making the point that if they were 50 blue whales and you stuck a rotor in their path there would be people marching in the streets. It is all right to have a bit of fun with a parrot. It does not really matter if it is an endangered parrot or an endangered eagle. These people who pretend they care about the environment say, ‘Let’s forget it.’

The report goes on to say:

A conservative approach is therefore required—

a conservative approach—

which acknowledges that this proposed development will increase the cumulative risk to the species posed by the wind farm industry. As for other wind farms in Victoria that place this species at increased risk of extinction, the proponent should investigate compensatory habitat management activities off site.

This is a very serious issue. It is one that the Victorian government’s own people recognise. It is one that the minister in Victoria has used to stop wind farms himself. He stopped one at Port Fairy only recently because of the impact on migratory birds. He pretends that for him to stop a wind farm because of one migratory bird is okay but for me to stop one because of another bird is not okay. It is gross hypocrisy, compounded by Senator Carr’s misleading of this chamber. (Time expired)