One of Western Australia’s biggest proposed biomass plants is relocating from Bridgetown, following strong opposition from local residents, to Manjimup.
It will be the plant’s second relocation in as many months.
The proponent of the $90 million, 40-megawatt plant, Babcock and Brown, has withdrawn its rezoning application from the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes and has commenced environmental assessments at Diamond Mill, about 20 kilometres from the Manjimup townsite.
A woodchip mill owned by WA Plantation Resources occupies part of the site, while its nearest neighbour is more than one kilometre away.
The new site is close to supporting infrastructure, including a major highway, existing heavy haulage access and an electricity substation, and is located near a 132-kilovolt transmission line.
In mid-September, Babcock and Brown identified an alternative site about eight kilometres out of Bridgetown after the local community expressed concerns the original location at Hester Hill was too close to the town.
At about the same time, Babcock and Brown was approached by the Manjimup shire to consider the Diamond Mill site in view of the uncertainties surrounding the Bridgetown proposal.
Also, a large number of supporters of anti-biomass lobby group ‘Stop the Smoke’ were elected in last month’s local government elections.
Babcock and Brown infrastructure manager Ross Rolfe said the proponents were conscious of the outcome of the elections, and of the delays in processing the rezoning application.
“We were conscious of that, and the fact the rezoning application hadn’t been set down for consideration until the end of November, which meant the timeframe was drifting too far away,” he said.
Mr Rolfe said the proponents were currently in the process of arranging a development application to submit to council, which would be followed by public advertising and a consultation period.
He said the project was on track to start construction in the first quarter of 2008, and was scheduled to begin supplying electricity to retailer Synergy by the end of 2009.
