Prospective landholders

Pacific Blue only develops wind farms which are appropriately sited, well designed and locally supported.

A good site needs the following attributes:

• Strong and consistent winds
• Terrain which is favourable for construction access (not too steep)
• Proximity to the National Electricity Grid
• Compatible land use such as cropping or grazing
• Land area allowing the optimal spacing of wind turbines
• Community and local council support

As a landowner, hosting a wind project requires minimal time on your part once land agreements have been negotiated. Pacific Blue manages the details, requirements and contracts for the entire project, leaving you free to focus on your primary land uses.

Wind energy provides a consistent, renewable and clean resource that provides a second income for landholders, complements existing land uses, and provides a steady, long-term source of revenue.

Wind does not suffer from the adverse effects of droughts, commodity price fluctuations, pest-related crop damage or other farming challenges. 

Wind generators also operate all year round.

A typical wind farm takes approximately 5 years to develop. This long lead-time is typical of the time-frame to develop infrastructure projects. 

We spend at least a year monitoring wind flow on proposed sites, using that time to also ensure that output from the wind farm will be optimised and that the interests of stakeholders, including landholders, neighbours and local communities, are considered in the process.

The footprint of a wind farm takes up between 1-2 percent of a typical site as wind farms and agriculture are reasonable comparable land uses.

As a pioneer in the Australian wind industry, Pacific Blue brings considerable experience to projects and works with landholders to minimise impacts on existing land uses, such as cropping or grazing.

The total time it takes to construct a typical wind farm is 12-18 months, with any inconvenience experienced during that time well and truly outweighed by the long-term benefits.

A wind generator is made up of moving parts and therefore does make some noise - such as the hum of the generator and the whoosh of the blades passing the tower.

But, thanks to advances in technology, well designed, appropriately sited wind turbines are quiet enough to ensure the amenity of nearby dwellings is safeguarded. You are able to carry out a normal conversation while standing underneath a modern wind turbine.

The maximum noise level allowed by regulations from a wind farm at any surrounding dwelling in Victoria is 40 decibels (about the same noise level as a library).

The best way to learn more about noise levels is to visit a wind farm and listen for yourself. 

When you sign a wind farm agreement with Pacific Blue, the agreement carries with the land, not the current owner. Therefore, if you sell the property, the obligations in the agreement pass onto the new owners.

The layout of the wind generators is determined by many variables, including the site's wind regime, existing vegetation, habitat for indigenous fauna, cultural heritage sites, noise limits at nearby homes, visual impact, aviation requirements, distance to the existing power-lines, elevation, slope/soil stability and property boundaries.

The wind turbines also need to be approximately 5 rotor diameters apart to reduce the effect each tower has on the wind flow to the neighbouring towers.

Our technicians consider various aspects of the wind flow over the site, including turbulence, terrain effects, hill effect, wind speed and direction as well as minimum, maximum and average wind speeds.

Unlike many other wind farm developers, Pacific Blue is a specialist renewable energy company focused on developing renewable energy projects including wind, solar and hydro.

Since 2001, Pacific Blue has set the benchmark for responsible wind farm development. We have gained the trust of farmers and communities around Australia as a company that is honest, responsive, and considerate of local needs.

We are committed to keeping communities informed at every step of the development process and encourage the community to become involved during the planning process.

We hold public information sessions, presentations to community groups and local media briefings to keep the community informed ensuring that we retain the social licence to operate in these areas.

We have dedicated staff who are responsible for landholder relations and they are available to assist with any queries or concerns. 

Landholders can contact them via email at: [email protected] or by leaving a message using our callback service: 1800 730 734