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

This government has a longstanding record of work on not only this threatened species but also a range of species. I believe that we do have to ensure that communities are part of decision making when it comes to wind farms. Christian Zahra was quite right on this, though I think he chose to go about it the wrong way. I think retrospectively changing the renewable energy target program and effectively banning Bald Hills retrospectively, which is what the Labor Party pledged at the last election, was the wrong way to go.

The reason that I think communities should be engaged is that these wind farms do have a significant impact. They can have a significant impact on property values and a significant impact on tourism. Communities should be engaged. That is why I have proposed a national code for wind farms and I have put out a discussion paper. Every single state government has opposed it—and you do not wonder why when you have an environment minister like Mr Mark McGowan in Western Australia, who says in relation to community consultation on wind farms: ‘Sometimes when local communities don’t agree you have to roll over the top of them.’