Business people were given an insight into job opportunities linked to the construction of the $236 million Bodangora wind farm at a local contractor day last week.
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‘Meet the Constructor’ was conducted by construction company Civil & Allied Technical Construction (CATCON) at the Wellington Civic Centre where representatives articulated the different job packages, timing and process to be sought.
Infigen Energy development team leader, Frank Boland, said the session gave locals the best foot forward on ensuring maximum participation from Wellington businesses.
“Our focus is to maximise the opportunities for local people,” he said. “It will depend what’s available and what other work they have on, but if the labor force in Wellington is available hopefully they will be able to use them wherever possible.”
He said benefits of the wind farm proceeding in Wellington extend further than just a host fee for property owners, with the town to benefit from two community funds.
“There’s the one that will be administered through the voluntary planning agreement with the Dubbo Regional Council,” Mr Boland said.
“We also have the community turbine – some of the proceeds from that turbine will go to a community fund and those funds will be dispersed in the Bodangora and Wellington communities every year.”
Mr Boland said Infigen is looking into using the infrastructure to boost mobile phone signal in the area.
Concerns raised by community members via the Wellington Times’ Facebook page were also addressed this week. Facebook user, Cathy Smith, said she believes the noise generated by the turbines will impact residents nearby and will devalue properties.
“The guidelines the NSW Planing Department enforce on projects such as wind farms like this are some of the most stringent in the world, so people should take comfort in knowing we’ve had to do a really thorough assessment and have to maintain that throughout the life of the project,” Mr Boland said.
“We have to do that at all of our other wind farms as well and we’ve met the criteria there so we’re confident we’ll meet it here as well.”
Fellow Facebook user, Peter Williams, also expressed is dismay at the idea, describing turbines as “bloody ugly things, visual pollution of the worst kind”.
Nikki Garnham and Calum McLeish agreed it is great to see movement in Wellington.
“It’s going to bring money into the Wellington community and they will be using local tradies as much as possible so yes I will be happy for it to take place in Wellington,” Nikki wrote.
