Thursday Island is one of the Torres Strait Islands and is located approximately 39km north of Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland.

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Thursday Island’s wind turbines are some of the oldest operating in Australia and demonstrate the suitability of renewable energy in Australian conditions.

Ergon isolated networks manager Dane Thomas said, “It’s great to see the turbines in the air once again. Thursday Island has once again welcomed the winds of change and is embracing a renewable energy future after leading the way when the wind farm was established in 1997,” he said.

“While this was cutting-edge technology when it was initially installed, it was due for a major overhaul, so the generating equipment was shipped to a specialist facility in South Australia while the towers were maintained onsite.

“With the completion of this $2 million project we have improved the reliability and efficiency of the wind turbines, which can generate enough energy to support around 100 high-use homes and are expected to save several thousand litres of diesel a week,” Thomas said.

To date, the wind turbines have generated more than 18,921MWh of renewable energy and savings of 220,000L of diesel a year on average.

As part of its commitment to decarbonising remote communities, and in consultation with the local councils and traditional owners, Ergon Energy Network is pursuing a range of renewable energy options on Thursday Island, including solar solutions.

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“While the turbines can produce a lot of clean energy when the wind is blowing they won’t be as productive during those calm periods, known as ‘the doldrums’, and that’s why we need a mix of energy solutions,” Thomas said.

“There is widespread community interest in harnessing the power of the sun and we are working together with the council and other agencies to find the most suitable options and support a renewable energy future.”

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The code outlines the restrictions, in terms of appropriate materials, proximity and noise impacts that play a role in the successful integration of a wind farm.

It has been amended to help facilitate the progress of wind farm expansion in fitting locations, so they avoid adverse impacts on the community and environment.

The Draft Wind Farm State Code and Draft Wind Farm State Code Planning Guideline were released for public consultation between April and May.

All comments received during the consultation period will be considered and the code and guideline will be finalised and incorporated in the State Development Assessment Provisions. The final code is anticipated to commence in late 2014.

State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Minister Jeff Seeney said most local planning schemes don’t include provisions specific to wind farms, nor do most councils have the expertise required to assess these technical developments.

“This document, once finalised and integrated into the State Development Assessment Provisions, will provide consistent guidelines for the potential development of wind farms in Queensland and certainty for the community,” Mr Seeney said.

Currently, Queensland has two wind farms – a 12MW wind farm on the Atherton Tablelands and a 0.5MW farm on Thursday Island – both of which fall on the small end of the wind farm spectrum, compared with other national renewable projects.

There are currently four wind farms undergoing proposal that could come under the new wind farm code, which was originally predicted to come into effect as early as July 1.

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