Senate wind farm inquiry a joke: Madigan

By Brendan Gullifer
Updated November 2 2012 - 6:08pm, first published October 28 2011 - 9:59am

THE Senate inquiry into wind farms, which sat in Ballarat in May, was a joke with “wishy washy” outcomes buried by the government, according to DLP Senator John Madigan.Ballarat-based Senator Madigan said he would be calling for a new inquiry specifically into the health and safety aspects of wind farms, or for the initial inquiry to be reopened. “While more and more evidence is emerging about the danger of wind farms in rural communities, the government is still pumping billions of dollars into dangerous industrial infrastructure,” Senator Madigan said.“Information about the dangers of wind farms keeps coming to light.“This new evidence needs to be investigated urgently and fixed before any more towers are constructed.” Senator Madigan said the inquiry had received more than 1000 submissions and had made seven recommendations.These included the need for urgent Commonwealth Government health research into the alleged effects of living near turbines.“None of these recommendations have seen the light of day,” he said.“The next time the Senate sits I will be demanding for either that inquiry to be reopened, or another inquiry into the specific health and safety of these wind farms opened.”Greens Senator Rachel Siewert, who chaired the inquiry, refuted Senator Madigan’s comments.“I suspect the senator is disappointed that the committee didn’t recommend exactly what he wanted,” Senator Siewert said.“The committee specifically identifies the need for further research into any links between health issues and wind farms.“The committee found that while there has been some health effects of some people living near wind farms, it was not found that these are necessarily associated with noise or vibration.” Liberal Senator Judith Adams, who also part of the inquiry, has called for a moratorium on wind farms.

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