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Council

2 October, 2024

Riordan raises safety concerns

THE safety of regional communities is being placed at risk as it is revealed the state government’s energy regulator has no records of internal fire suppression equipment being installed in any of Victoria’s wind turbines, according to Member for Polwarth Richard Riordan.

By wd-news

Wind farms: Member for Polwarth Richard Riordan has questioned why internal wind turbine fire safety suppression is voluntary.
Wind farms: Member for Polwarth Richard Riordan has questioned why internal wind turbine fire safety suppression is voluntary.

There are another 900 turbines planned in the near future.

Mr Riordan said wind industry insiders say that internal fire suppression equipment is an optional extra, and is not compulsory for turbines in Victoria.

“Regional fire safety should not be an optional extra,” he said.

“The Allan Government is fast tracking the wind industry in regional Victoria and its own safety regulators are asleep at the wheel.

“A massive hot fiberglass and oil fire burning 200 metres above a western Victorian grass plan is not a safe situation, and given catastrophic conditions could ignite fires for kilometres.”

Mr Riordan said it was “inconceivable a responsible government in the most fire prone state in Australia has not given its focus to this issue”.

“The Allan Government must immediately undertake a full audit of all turbines, and report immediately to regional communities of the relevant risk,” he said.

Shadow Minister for Energy, Affordability and Security, David Davis, said the Allan Labor Government must take responsibility for the fire safety of wind turbines across the state and ensure energy safety regulations are unequivocal and strong.

“They must ensure existing wind turbines are audited and verified, particularly as wind farms age,” he said.

“Labor cannot manage money, cannot manage our energy systems and Victorians are paying the price.”

A Victorian Government spokesperson said wind turbine fires were “rare” and the owners and operators of windfarms must comply with strict energy safety laws and regulations.

“CFA volunteers have experience and procedures already in place to safely fight fires around this infrastructure,” the spokesperson said.

“They assess the risk before entering a site.

“Last year we strengthened Energy Safe Victoria’s powers to ensure operators comply with strict energy safety laws and regulations – this includes submitting detailed safety management plans to the regulator for approval.”

Read More: local

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