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HeadsUp Regular Member Joined: 06/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 43
Posted: 03:29am 18 Jan 2010
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what experience have people had with getting council approval for a wind turbine ?
my preliminary enquiry indicates it will cost minimum $ 330 for a basic approval , not including environmental assessment
i emailed them back and asked for confirmation of the approvals costs for my wind turbine ( i told them about the one which would cost me all of $ 285 to build )
i am wondering how much training i need to do at the gym to prepare myself for jumping through hoops and cutting through red tape........ ps .. isnt red tape a choking hazard ?
opinions ?
we are in NSW
****************************************************
I refer to your e-mail query regarding a wind turbine development which was received by Council on 15 January 2010.
Council has not adopted any specific height restrictions for wind turbines in the xxxxx Local Government Area.
Your proposal for a wind turbine requires Development Consent from Council. This will require the lodgement and approval of a Development Aplication. Such an application must be accompanied by detailed plans and elevations of the wind turbine, a detailed Statement of Environmental Effects that fully describes the proposal and it's compliance with all current and draft Environmentnal Planning Instruments, a fully completed application form and the required fee.
Depending on the electricity output of the proposed wind turbine, the proposal may be "Designated Development" in accordance with Clause 18, Schedule 3 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulations 2000.
I strongly recommend that you contact me on the telephone number below to arrange a pre-Development Application meeting in order to discuss the proposal further.
Nothing in this e-mail should be taken as confirmation that Council will neccessarily approve a Development Application for your proposed development. Edited by HeadsUp 2010-01-19
GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127
Posted: 04:09am 18 Jan 2010
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Sounds like council thought you wanted to get approval for a wind farm. You may have blown it for a personal system.
My council was encouraging, with a strict proviso re noise and height restrictions. Any noise complaint by neighbours could mean the windmill becomes an ornament, even if height was OK.
Good luck with your development application and EIS.
Gordon.
become more energy aware
Joblow Regular Member Joined: 05/01/2010 Location: AustraliaPosts: 54
Posted: 04:30am 18 Jan 2010
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Our electricity provider (Synergy) states that local government approval is neccessary before they will accept an application for renewable energy buyback, I have not yet plucked up the courage to ask council. My council is: Wanneroo, WA. has anyone had dealing and know the ropes here?
The man who never made a mistake never made anything
windlight Guru Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331
Posted: 12:58pm 18 Jan 2010
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My council tried to stop me installing solar for my new house, a motion was put to council that the proposed residence be mains powered, it failed.
allan"I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV).
HeadsUp Regular Member Joined: 06/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 43
Posted: 01:05pm 18 Jan 2010
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a friend asked council about requirements to approve his self built self powered home which was all self sustaining
his council in a NSW country town said go for it, charged bugger all in fees and hardly bothered him.
depends where you go.
i have as much faith in councils as i do in the honesty of nigerian accountants
isaiah Guru Joined: 25/12/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 303
Posted: 03:43pm 19 Jan 2010
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'' Who owns the land you or the council?
Who holds the highest title to the land?
Why ask mother may I ?
These tyrants like the ones in the usa are probably on the take under the table with the electric company!!!
This is how they keep the competition out of the townships and villiages.URL=http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/1973-11- 01/The-Plowboy-Interview.aspx>The Plowboy Interview[/URL>
HeadsUp Regular Member Joined: 06/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 43
Posted: 10:07pm 19 Jan 2010
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surprising reply from this council suggesting a bit of wiggle room may exist for small turbines
-----------------------------------
my letter.......
thanks for reply xxxxx
Please advise , what is the fee for this application ?
One type of wind turbine i am looking at could cost me as much as $ 285 to manufacture and erect.
Which is the correct application class ?
Would it be a 25.B.(1).(i) building work construction certificate and preconstruction certificate meeting @ $ 330 ?
------------------------
his reply appears somewhat sympathetic
------
The Development Application fees for this application will be based on the total project value of the development.
Based on the costs you've mentioned below the fees would be:
DA fee: $110
Archiving: $24.25
Public notification: $110
Total: $244.25
These fees are only on the basis that your proposal is not Designated Development. Upon further assessment of the application Council may require additional fees and you will be notified about this as soon as possible.
The cutoff level for Designated Development is 30 megawatts however there are other Designated Development criteria that may need to be considered.
Regards,xxxxx
Edited by HeadsUp 2010-01-21
HeadsUp Regular Member Joined: 06/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 43
Posted: 10:14pm 19 Jan 2010
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i must confess i dont have a problem putting a little 29.9999 megawatt system in my backyard .
HeadsUp Regular Member Joined: 06/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 43
Posted: 10:20pm 19 Jan 2010
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thankfully , things are changing here , corruption used to be the norm in local govt , not the exception.
As sands pass through the hourglass so too change does occur with little improvements in efficiency and integrity in councils and govt.....
corrupt council staff being convicted and going to jail doesnt hurt the process either.... sending a message to the rest of them that they are employed to serve the public , not to self-serve the contents of the public purse.
KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178
Posted: 09:54am 20 Jan 2010
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My farm inquiries to the local council revealed that nothing was required (in Bairnsdale) as long as the tower was less than 100m high....
response.... I wish!Luck favours the well prepared
HeadsUp Regular Member Joined: 06/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 43
Posted: 01:17pm 20 Jan 2010
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hahaha . 100 m ?
geezuz
despite initial scepticism , i actually feel more positive now , 15 - 30 metre tower is adequate for me , and i sure as heck wont be building a mill anywhere near the 30 megawatt mentioned in my council reply above.
Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1507
Posted: 08:58am 22 Jan 2010
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My old neighbor applied to the council to put up a commercial wind generator and got knocked back as the council didnt know what it is. Me personally I have as little to do with the council as possible. Sheesh for the first 3 years we payed rates on un occupied un improved farmland. Also being zoned 'rural' I reckon gives the right to build what ya want when ya want and the council can goto hell....
KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178
Posted: 11:32am 22 Jan 2010
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This is hilarious reading as Dad is going not so quietly insane with the council for various projects....
A structure less than 12m2 requires no permit, hence LOTS of little structures in mud brick just to annoy them at 11.99m2 -may even build me a windturbine "observation station"......
The current theory is his mate "digger Dave" an Irish bloke will work nights to build the next dwelling underground and we will cover with grass so it cannot be detected by satellite....
My theory is if you are building into the side of the hill a $1500 permit from the council is the least of your worries!
Water ingress or at least the prevention of is going to cost thousands so at which point do you try and evade the red tape..Luck favours the well prepared
Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333
Posted: 11:51am 22 Jan 2010
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The water problem exists wheather council is involved or not. Why pay them to tell you that!
How dose $250 council approval make for a better wind mill. It dont it just makes one cut corners to fit within the budget.
They will always ask for more information with a extra fee attached regardless of what you sumit.
Then someone needs to pay for their lazy ass to keep them in a job.
Sometimes it just works
Tim_the_bloke Senior Member Joined: 15/11/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 105
Posted: 11:45am 24 Jan 2010
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In NSW there is state legislation covering windmill permissions. I suggest you do your own research (at austlii.org or your council). Basically, if you are in rural zoning, your windmil has been designed by a professional engineer, it is free standing and is non comercial, the local council cannot block permission.
For me, I am not in rural zoning, my windmill is dreamt up by me on the fly and I am not a professional engineer, and my back yard is too small for a free standing tower (I will fix to my house). So tough, no good for me. However, the council people did say it would take them weeks to tell me to take it down after a complaint. I only want to test it for a few weeks so don't worry if the neighbours don't complain, they said.
I have another rural location for the permanent instalation once testing complete.
I am a newbie to wind generators but was thinking about mounting one on the roof of my house (no higher that the current TV antenna).
I have read posts about modifying blades to reduce noise etc but can anyone tell me how noisy they are? Is it unreasonable to have one in suburbia - mine would be pretty close to my bedroom so the first complaint is likely to be me!!
Finally can the power produced by wind be slipped in with the solar energy into the grid if I already have solar panels and an inverter in place?
Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333
Posted: 05:41am 03 Feb 2010
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I would think the turbine would not stay up for long on the roof when you get out of bed for a few mornings looking like this.
The noise and the constant vibration will drive you insaine i would think.
The second problem would be the turbulent air off the roof as turbines like clean air.
As i found the best way to get an idea of preformance is to place a anemometer up where you are looking to put a turbine and log the data to a computer.
This convinced me it was a waste of time and money attempting to put a mill in suburbia where i am, as the air is so turbulent from the buildings in the area it would be considered as gusts and lulls with no real worth while energy to drive a turbine.
Woohoo ...my first post. I live in Bunbury W.A.where i discovered that the council has "no guide lines for wind turbines within the council". I was told I would have to submit plans, (with application fee of $130.00 from memory), and,... I stopped listening at about that point.
My turbine is up and runniing with no complaints from neighbours, just interest in performance etc. BTW, I don`t encourage anyone to follow my example.
But to answer your Q. clong, I was going to go roof top as in passing thru ridge cap and down to a metal bracket (to restrict horizontal movement and compressive loads on a wooden plate)located on top of an internal wall.
This would have been insulated with `rubber` or some such with similar characteristics, but the vibration and lightning-rod-into-the-house factors changed my mind, even with the height loss from its final location which was only(?)about 1.5m to 1.8m I feel happy with the decision. It`s also harder to spot from the road out the back!
Noisy blades: noise from blades 90% is generated (no pun) at the tips i.e. tip turbulence, the rest chopping thru non-laminar wind flow. Blade twist is one cure, this gives a relatively coarse pitch at the hub, say 25deg., going to almost zero (1 or 2 deg.) angle of attack at the tips. Or cap the tips, assuming sufficient and sufficiently strong enough material is uysed; similar to what you see on jumbo and other aircraft wing tips.Edited by Lindsay 2010-02-04
Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me.
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' Who owns the land you or the council?
