Planning authorities deferred the Southern Cross proposal, saying more information is required about the impact on aviation safety.
A plan to build an $85 million wind farm has been deferred by planning authorities, who say more information is required around the impact on local aviation activities.
Yilgarn Holdings lodged a proposal in October for a 10-turbine and 10-megawatt battery storage facility on 1,464 hectares of farm land in Southern Cross, about 400 kilometres east of Perth.
Business News understands Andrew Forrest's Fortescue Future Industries is looking to work with Yilgarn Holdings on the wind farm.
While FFI would not confirm its level of involvement, a spokesperson for the company said Fortecue was "exploring wind generation opportunities in the Yilgarn region".
The proposal is set to cover 6ha of the landholding, between Great Eastern Highway, Emu Fence Road and Southern Cross Marvel Loch Road.
Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel members today commended the development, but agreed that a more detailed aviation impact assessment was needed to make a decision on the project.
Allerding & Associates, which submitted the proposal on behalf of Yilgarn Holdings asked about the lack of specificity in location of the proposed wind turbines, which they could only pinpoint within a 500 metre radius.
It is understood that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority wrote to the proponents yesterday expressing concern about the impact of the development on the local aerodrome’s activities.
Allerding & Associates senior associate said he was surprised by the correspondence, given CASA had been consulted.
Aviation Projects conducted an aviation impact assessment on the proponent's behalf, which concluded that the turbines would not infringe Southern Cross Aerodrome's obstacle limitation surfaces, or impact operational airspace.
However, it is understood the Royal Flying Doctor Service was not adequately consulted over the proposal.
A motion to defer a decision on the wind farm for three months was carried three to one, with a 28-day public advertising period on a more detailed application required.
“There’s too much uncertainty around the proposal as it is currently put forward in terms of how there might be a resolution to the use of the airport in conjunction with development of the wind farm,” presiding member Clayton Higham said.
“We have no option but to go down this path and find greater certainty around this proposal. It’s a very good proposal but it has to work with the aerodrome.”
