A 16-turbine wind farm will be built against the wishes of some residents, with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) ruling that wind farms do not cause health problems.

A proposed wind power project at Trawool, near Seymour in central Victoria, was rejected by the Mitchell Shire Council, after it heard a significant amount of complaints and health concerns from residents.

Some Mitchell Shire Council planning officers had given it the go-ahead, and are now supported by the VCAT finding that the residents’ worries were unfounded.

Infigen Energy has got the green light to add to its repertoire of 6 wind farms in Australia. The Trawool project is just the second wind farm to be approved since the Victorian Government introduced new planning restrictions two years ago.

State law says anyone can veto a planned wind turbine within two kilometres of their home, not specifically conceding the validity of the health claims, but allowing those with complaints to stop renewable energy development.

VCAT has now joined the Victorian Health Department in officially stating that wind farms to not negatively affect peoples’ health.

There remains no evidence to the contrary, other than anecdotal claims.