00:01This northern Tasmanian landscape could soon look very different.
00:06Renewable energy company Equus hopes to build a $950 million wind farm
00:12with 28 wind turbines up to 270 metres tall near Bellboy Beach.
00:18It'll take away from the serenity of what makes this place special.
00:24This isn't anti-renewables, this is about wrong project, wrong location.
00:28They're also concerned that links between two local politicians and the project
00:33could limit the potential for community opposition.
00:37There's no way they'll push back because they do stand to benefit financially.
00:42A proposal with Tasmania's Planning Commission shows the wind farm would span 19 parcels of land.
00:49Property records show 13 of them are owned by Georgetown Councillor Winston Archer,
00:54the spouse of Tasmania's Health Minister and member for BAS, Bridget Archer.
01:00Equus hasn't said how much landowners will be paid for hosting turbines,
01:05but in other areas farmers have earned up to $45,000 a year per turbine.
01:10Minister Archer has declared her spouse and a company he directs own land earmarked for the wind farm.
01:17I am not currently nor have I been a decision maker in relation to any aspect of this project.
01:25And so it is not in any way a conflict in that sense.
01:30She says she won't advocate for the project nor against it.
01:34It is important for me to remain arm's length at things for which there could be a perception of a
01:40conflict,
01:40which is what I have done.
01:42A governance expert says while the declaration is technically sufficient,
01:46he questions whether further disclosures should have been made.
01:51I think the most obvious course of action would have been much earlier on
01:56to add an extra level of detail to the disclosure of company ownership.
02:04He thinks it's fair to question how the politicians' involvement could impact community outcomes.
02:10It doesn't mean that necessarily the advocacy would be less, but it could be.
02:16The acting mayor says residents will be invited to comment through the assessment process.
02:22The opinions of those people should be valued and should be heard,
02:26and they certainly do have a relevant point.
02:29The wind farm still requires national and local approvals to get the green light.
02:33The wind farm still requires national and local approvals to get the green light.
02:34That means the board is characterized by the highest education team,
02:34and the national fair and BB-9-3-3-1-3-2-1-0-6-6-2-0.
02:35You
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