Richmond player hurt in altercation at local soccer match - The Age

By Michael Gleeson

Updated February 26, 2023 — 7.58pm

Richmond key defender Noah Balta was allegedly punched in the mouth while helping to coach a local soccer team in Altona North on Sunday, the club has confirmed.

A fight broke out during the game and Balta, who was helping coach the team which also featured close friend and former Tigers ruckman Ivan Maric, was struck in the mouth. He was not seriously injured.

Noah Balta celebrates for the Tigers.Credit:AFL Photos

He informed Richmond of the incident and the Tigers have cleared him of any wrongdoing. The AFL integrity unit has been informed as a matter of protocol.

Meantime, the Tigers are likely to finally have full-forward Tom Lynch and midfielder Shae Bolton back to lead a group of senior players returning for the second practice match.

Lynch has been battling a plantar fascia problem over the summer, with the Tigers patiently building him towards fitness for round one.

Tom Lynch had a goal overturned on review in the elimination final loss to the Lions.Credit:AFL Photos

He will be assessed during the week but is a strong chance to play at least some minutes in the second practice match this week, against Melbourne at Casey Fields on Saturday afternoon.

Bolton missed the first practice match against North Melbourne last week while he attended a funeral, but he is likely to return to the club this week and play against the Demons.

Jack Graham’s turf toe injury, which he managed last year then had treatment for at the end of the season, is still causing him problems. He is a chance albeit possibly unlikely for round one.

Liam Baker had his appendix out, forcing him to miss the first practice match. He could be a chance to play this week but will certainly be fit for round one.

The management of Lynch, however is the most critical. While Richmond will have a new-look midfield with the arrival of Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper, they have a very familiar-looking forward set-up with veterans Lynch and Jack Riewoldt still the key targets.

The former All-Australian Lynch, who has turned 30, won the Jack Dyer Medal last year and is probably the Tigers’ most critical structural player.

Geelong, meanwhile, are still waiting for clarity on the extent of damage and the rehab plan for Jack Henry’s foot after he suffered an injury in the Cats’ practice match win over Hawthorn.

It was the same foot Henry twice injured last year and spent seven matches on the sidelines. Henry will see a specialist early this week to determine the course of action.

Geelong’s Jack Henry re-injured his foot in the first practice matchCredit:Scott Barbour, The Age

Henry had been used as a forward target during the pre-season due to Tom Hawkins being in the rehab group as he recovers from injury. Henry has been used forward periodically and would have been an option forward were Hawkins to miss the early rounds.

Given his history, Henry himself now looks doubtful for the first rounds, but that will be confirmed this week.

Geelong on Saturday night announced Patrick Dangerfield as the club’s new captain after Joel Selwood’s retirement. All Australian defender Tom Stewart was appointed vice captain.

A late Saturday evening announcement might be a clue to the fact this was more of a confirmation of an expected appointment than surprising news.

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Victorian politics: The MPs with the largest property portfolios - The Age

Victorian state politicians collectively own 260 properties, including homes, farms, retail spaces and vacant blocks, with two owning more than 15 each.

An analysis of hundreds of pages of disclosures reveals the MPs with the largest property portfolios were senior Liberal shadow energy minister David Hodgett with 18 and deputy Liberal leader David Southwick with 17. However, 11 of Hodgett’s and 13 of Southwick’s were held by family trusts and were not individually owned by the MPs.

Family trusts could be shared among cousins or siblings, for example, meaning the MPs would not receive the same benefit from them as an individually owned property.

Assistant Treasurer Danny Pearson and Tourism Minister Steve Dimopoulos owned six properties each, including investment properties rented out.

However, MPs are not required to declare properties owned by their partner.

The analysis relied on information provided in the disclosures. The Age also allowed updates and clarifications on the personal situations of politicians after contacting dozens of MPs.

Melbourne house prices slipped to a median of $1.03 million in the year to December, according to the Domain House Price Report. In regional Victoria the median price of a home lifted to $585,000.

However, many of the properties declared by the MPs were vacant blocks of land or small retail shops that may be valued much less.

Several MPs rented the home they live in but had other investment properties. Others owned a second property in the city, particularly those from the regions.

National MP Danny O’Brien, for example, owns his home in his Gippsland South electorate and a second property in Melbourne, as well as a rental in NSW.

Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan owned a primary residence in her Bendigo electorate and a second in the city.

Thirteen MPs – most of whom were newly elected – did not declare ownership of any properties.

Renters with no portfolio included Martha Haylett of Labor, Martin Cameron of the Nationals, Aiv Puglielli of the Greens, David Limbrick of the Liberal Democrats, and Rachel Payne from Legalise Cannabis.

The Age counted Shaun Leane as owning no properties, but he was waiting for a block of land to settle which he declared on his register anyway.

Wayne Farnham, the member for Narracan, was not included in the analysis because he was sworn in this month after a delayed election and his interests were yet to be published.

The starting salary for an MP in Victoria is $192,115, with extra pay for additional responsibilities such as a position in cabinet.

Premier Daniel Andrews earns $464,918 a year, including $58,435 in expenses and allowances, and declared ownership of one property, in his electorate of Mulgrave.

Opposition Leader John Pesutto also owned just one property.

To assist first home buyers into the market, Victoria has introduced a means-tested shared equity scheme. First home buyers can contribute a deposit of just 5 per cent for a home valued up to $950,000 in Melbourne or $600,000 in the regions, with the remainder covered by the state.

The Andrews government has also embarked on the record $5.3 billion big housing build to add 12,000 social and affordable homes, which still falls short of providing a place to live for the 55,000 households on waiting lists.

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Kerley and local heroes fire up a revived Melbourne | REPORTS - World Athletics

It’s not his flagship event, but Fred Kerley made running 200m look pretty easy in Melbourne on Thursday night (23) in the year’s first World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting.

The world 100m champion was the headline act at the revived Melbourne meeting which was re-badged as the Maurie Plant Meet. Kerley finished with his right arm held high, having raised it in celebration some 30 metres before the line.

Indeed, Kerley eased around the bend and was possibly behind Australian challenger Rohan Browning as they straightened. Within a few metres more it was a non-race, Kerley surging clear to win by four metres in 20.32 (-0.9m/s).

Kerley is one of only three men to have broken 10 seconds for the 100m, 20 for the 200m and 44 for the 400m, so he is no slouch at any of the three distances. But to the enthusiastic acclaim of the crowd at Lakeside Stadium he effectively won this race in 80 metres.

Melbourne was hungry for local heroes, however, and it didn’t have to wait long to greet some. Didn’t have to wait at all, in fact. The opening event on the main programme was the John Landy Mile, named after the great Australian miler of the 1950s.

Ollie Hoare, one of the members of the bronze medal mixed relay team at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst the previous weekend, dominated the second half of the race to win in 3:52.24. It’s the third-fastest mile by an Australian in Australia behind Stewart McSweyn’s 3:50.61 in Tasmania in 2020 and the meeting record of 3:51.54 by Simon Doyle in 1991.

New Zealand’s Sam Tanner was second but the other story of the race was the Oceanian U18 and U20 record by Cameron Myers in third place. Myers ran 3:55.44 to slash the previous U20 mark set by Mike Hillardt in Berlin in 1980. Myers’ mark also beats Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s world age-16 best.

It is a heady comparison for the 16-year-old from Canberra who is wiping some distinguished names from the national record books. In addition to breaking Hillardt’s record in Melbourne, a few weeks earlier he had broken Ryan Gregson’s national U18 record for 1500m by three seconds with 3:40.60.

Jenneke and Anang impress

Michelle Jenneke returned from a brief European indoor competition trip to win the 100m hurdles in 12.75 (1.2m/s), making her the only athlete to achieve a World Championships qualifying standard at this meeting.

The 29-year-old, who set a 60m hurdles PB of 7.89 just two weeks ago in Berlin, got off to a great start and was challenged by Celeste Mucci in the latter half, but Mucci crashed into the penultimate hurdle, taking her out of contention.

Had the wind not changed direction for the women’s 100m flat just moments later, there’s a good chance Naa Anang would have gained a World Championships qualifying standard too.

Despite the -1.4m/s headwind, the former long jump specialist powered through the second half of the race to overtake early leader Ella Connolly and win in a PB of 11.20. With a perfect 2.0m/s following wind, Anang’s performance could have been close to – or even under – 11 seconds flat.

All four Bathurst relay medallists in Melbourne

Along with McSweyn, the other three members of Australia’s World Cross mixed relay team also ran in Melbourne, as did both world U20 cross-country champions.

Jessica Hull outlasted Abbey Caldwell over an enthralling last lap of the women’s 1500m. After a moderate 2:17 first 800m, first Caldwell and then Hull took the lead. As they went around a sub-60-second final lap, Hull appeared to have the upper hand but, roared home by a Melbourne crowd, Caldwell challenged again in the straight. Hull got to the line a stride to the good, 4:07.11 to 4:07.32.

Stewart McSweyn looked to be heading for victory in the 3000m, too, but he was first closed down and then passed by newly minted world U20 cross-country champion Ishmael Kipkurui who went on to win in a PB and meeting record of 7:41.38 to McSweyn’s 7:44.36. Uganda’s Dan Kibet, fourth in the U20 race in Bathurst, was third here in Melbourne in 7:50.11.

Senayet Gatachew made it a 3000m double for world U20 cross-country champions, winning the women’s 3000m in a PB of 8:46.54 from Uganda’s Prisca Chesang (8:48.85), seventh in the senior race in Bathurst, and Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka (8:49.09).

Dale upstages Olympic finalists in long jump

The women’s long jump featured a duel between 2021 Olympic finalists Tara Davis-Woodhall and Brooke Buschkuehl but they were upstaged by Samantha Dale who was just one centimetre below her best with a jump of 6.71m against Davis-Woodhall’s 6.69m and Buschkuehl’s 6.59m.

The wind had picked up again for the men’s long jump, held later in the programme, which was won by Chris Mitrevski with a wind-assisted 8.16m (3.9m/s).

There was also an upset in the men’s discus, staged at Geelong’s Landy Field on the eve of the meeting. New Zealand’s Connor Bell threw a national record of 66.23m to upset Australia’s Commonwealth champion Matthew Denny, 62.73m, in a high-class competition.

New Zealand also had a 1-2 in the men’s 800m, James Preston bursting through on the inside in the final 30 metres to win in 1:45.85 from Melbourne-based compatriot Brad Mathas, 1:46.00.

Olympic silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers took the win in the high jump with a clearance at 1.93m before bowing out when the bar was raised to 1.96m.

There were two French victories in the field. Felise Vahai Sosaia won the men’s javelin with a solid 82.04m throw from Cameron McEntyre, 80.32m. And Rose Loga took the women’s hammer with a best of 69.31m, adding 13 centimetres to the meeting record set by Bronwyn Eagles in 2002. New Zealand’s Tori Peeters won the women’s javelin with 59.00m.

Len Johnson for World Athletics

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Regional WA councils fear Local Government Act reforms will reduce rural representation - ABC News

Councillors in regional Western Australia have raised concerns that changes to the Local Government Act will diminish the voices of small, rural communities.

Key points:

• Eleven councils across WA will be required to remove their ward voting systems if proposed changes go ahead
• The Boyup Brook Shire president says not having wards will narrow the representation on council 
• The local government minister says changes are needed to standardise the system

The state government has proposed a range of reforms to the act, including removing wards for smaller councils and standardising the number of councillors.

Under the proposed changes, the Shire of Boyup Brook would be one of 11 councils required to axe its ward system, which currently splits the local government area into four separate voting electorates.

Boyup Brook Shire President Richard Walker said a move away from the current system could narrow the representation on council.

"The concern is that they end up with mainly town people on council," he said.

"You end up with people with a background that is less rural when you go away from wards.

"So their experience and ideas can be a bit different." 

The Shire of Boyup Brook has been told it must axe its four-ward system for electing councillors.(ABC South West: Kate Stephens)

Councillor Walker said the council reviewed its ward system a few years ago and the majority of residents wanted to keep it.

"We did not see any need for change, but we've been pushed down that path by the minister's decision," he said.

Changes needed for 'over-governed' state

Local Government Minister John Carey said the reforms were required to improve accountability and reduce dysfunction.

He said WA was over-governed.

"We have more than 1,000 local elected officials," he said. 

"If you look across the board, we do see that there is a high ratio to electors, i.e. ratepayers, and so we do want to see some greater standardisation."

He said the current ward system had allowed some councillors to win a seat with only a small portion of the vote.

"We have seen in councils factionalism and infighting occurring because people believe that they only represent the ward," he said.

Local Government Minister John Carey says WA is over-governed.(ABC News: Amelia Searson)

Fears councillors will burn out

The proposed changes would also see 48 councils in WA reduce the number of sitting councillors.

The Shire of Harvey is required to remove four council seats but was given the option by the Local Government Advisory Board to choose a timeline to implement the change. 

Councillor Craig Carbone said at a council meeting he believed it should refuse to implement the changes at all.

He argued a reduction in councillors would mean the workload was spread between fewer people. 

"We're spread out over a vast area and all we're going to do is burn out councillors that have to go to committee meetings across seven towns," he said.

Craig Carbone says reducing the number of elected members could lead to councillor burnout.(Supplied: Craig Carbone)

But Mr Carey disagreed.

He said a reduction in red tape and access to online meetings should see the workload for councillors reduce, not increase under the changes.

"We're asking councils to look at themselves — how they can be more efficient and effective," he said.

The reforms are yet to be passed by WA parliament but Mr Carey said he was confident they would be in place before this year's local government elections.

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Mark McGowan and WA councils at odds over major property development reforms - ABC News

Local councils say new planning laws will make them "almost irrelevant", with the McGowan government reducing their control over the look of suburbs and towns across Perth and WA.

The government announced major reforms on Wednesday that would hand greater powers to centralised administrative panels to consider the approval of property development.

Premier Mark McGowan argued the proposal would help deliver more housing at more affordable prices by circumventing "anti-development" councils.

Mark McGowan says the changes will streamline and strengthen the planning system.(ABC News: Keane Bourke)

But local councillors, and the WA Local Government Association (WALGA), said a better balance needed to be struck.

"Its taken away local decision making," WALGA president Karen Chappel said.

Want more local WA news?

Select "Western Australia Top Stories" from either the ABC News homepage or the settings menu in the app.

"It is the role of local government to represent the views of its members. It's called local government for a reason.

"What has been suggested, that is going to be happening going forward, [is decisions will be made] without local government having a say in what is going to happen in their communities.

"It's just not fair to communities."

Planning Minister Rita Saffioti, who is responsible for the reforms, said local governments still had an important role to play by preparing and updating local planning schemes.

"And the scheme in a sense is sort of the blueprint of how the area will be developed, what should be rezoned or not rezoned, and so councils continue to have that key role," she told ABC Radio Perth.

"And in that role they need to determine where they want some density, and when they don't.

"When councils do that well then we can deliver density really well."

Ms Saffioti said delivering more housing density to help alleviate a shortage of homes was a key reason for the reforms.

"This is another way to try and support more housing, more infill, and basically ensure we have more homes for future generations, people wanting to downsize. We just, we need more housing," she said.

More to come.

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Local Victorian councils struggling to balance books - The Canberra Times

About 149 mistakes were found in council reports and financial statements in 2021/22 compared to 130 errors the year prior, including errors with councils' property, infrastructure, plant and equipment balances and issues with the quality of disclosures.

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Local McKinsey consultants told they are not target of job cuts - The Australian Financial Review

Feb 22, 2023 – 1.29pm

McKinsey’s Australian and New Zealand operation has moved quickly to reassure the firm’s consultants that they are not being targeted by a global review that plans to eliminate about 2000 jobs, or more than 4 per cent of the strategy consulting firm’s 45,000-strong global workforce.

The review will instead focus on cutting roles held by staff working in functions such as information technology, finance, communications and human resources. The plan is typical of a review that McKinsey would carry out for a client wanting to reduce costs and increase the efficiency of back-office functions.

McKinsey’s Australian leadership sent a firm-wide email on Wednesday that said the review was part of a regular examination of the firm’s “operating model”. 

The planned staff cuts are another sign of economic troubles in the US and Australia. Last week, big four consulting firm KPMG announced it would cut 2 per cent of its US workforce, or about 700 roles, and a similar proportion of its Australian workforce, or about 200 local roles.

KPMG cited a slowdown in the firm’s management consulting business caused by increasingly cost-conscious clients, but a McKinsey global spokesman said client demand was increasing.

“With demand from our clients expanding, we continue to hire client-serving professionals and invest in our ability to serve clients,” global McKinsey spokesman DJ Carella said in a statement. “In parallel, we are redesigning the way our non-client-serving teams operate for the first time in more than a decade, so that these teams can effectively support and scale with our firm.”

McKinsey’s Australian leadership sent a firm-wide email on Wednesday that said the review was part of a regular examination of the firm’s “operating model” and was focused on non-client-facing roles, as employees working in the functions are known.

Start dates deferred

The Australian Financial Review understands that the firm continues to hire consultants but some of these new starters have had their commencement date deferred to later in the year. McKinsey’s local leadership declined to comment.

The firm’s local arm has hired 90 new consultants so far this year, on par with its highest-ever local intake in 2022. The new hires include 35 undergraduates, along with a mix of Masters of Business Administration graduates and experienced hires.

An unspecified number of the new hires have agreed to stagger their start date between February and May.

McKinsey has about 620 Australian and New Zealand employees, of which about a quarter, or 150, work in non-consulting roles.

An executive recruiter who speaks regularly with potential candidates from McKinsey said the cuts followed a bumper year of hiring and salary increases in 2022.

“There are a lot of proposals about, but a lot of clients are stalling before they buy,” he said.

Local revenue down

McKinsey’s local annual revenue fell 8 per cent in calendar 2021 to $440 million, as a big boost to bonuses paid to partners and staff pushed the local operation into a loss for the year, according to corporate filings for McKinsey Pacific Rim.

Globally, the firm posted a record $US15 billion ($22 billion) in revenue in 2021.

The cost-cutting plan, known internally as Project Magnolia, was first reported by Bloomberg, and is expected to be completed in the coming weeks. Bloomberg reported that one motivation for the move was to preserve partner pay.

Separately, the Financial Times reported that the firm’s legal and compliance teams would not be cut. Those teams were built up after the firm faced scandals over its work for opioid manufacturers and in South Africa.

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Finance Union slams 'greedy' Westpac over local bank closure - Bay 93.9

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Steam now allows you to copy games to Steam Deck and other PCs over a local network - Engadget

Valve is giving Steam Deck users with slow internet connections or bandwidth caps a new way to install games on their devices. The latest Steam and Steam Deck betas add local network game transfers, a feature that allows you to copy existing files from one PC to another over a local area network. Valve says the tool can reduce internet traffic and lessen the time it takes to install games and updates since you can use it to bypass the need to connect to a Steam content server over the internet.

Hello! We've just shipped a Beta update to Steam and Steam Deck that includes a new feature: Local Network Game Transfers.

This allows Steam users to install games directly from one PC to another over a local network, without having to download and install from the internet. pic.twitter.com/bv9xThZCoS

— Steam Deck (@OnDeck) February 17, 2023

“Local Network Game Transfers are great for Steam Deck owners, multi-user Steam households, dorms, LAN parties, etc,” the company points out. “No more worries about bandwidth or data caps when all the files you need are already nearby.” Once you’ve installed the new software on your devices, Steam will first check if it can transfer a game installation or set of update files over your local network before contacting a public Steam content server. If at any point one of the devices involved in the transfer is disconnected from your local network, Steam will fall back to downloading any necessary files from the internet.

By default, the feature is set to only work between devices logged into the same Steam account, but you can also transfer files between friends on the same local area network. It’s also possible to transfer to any user on the same network, which is something you would do during a LAN tournament. Valve has published a FAQ with more information about local network game transfers, including details on some of the limitations of the feature, over on the Steam website.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publishing.

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WA ramps up recruitment drive for local nurses and midwives - The West Australian

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Coal stoush heats up as miners told to supply local power plants - Sydney Morning Herald

Australia’s largest coal miners, including BHP, are pushing back against a new reservation policy that will force them to set aside hundreds of thousands of tonnes of coal for domestic power plants for 15 months, despite wringing major concessions from government.

As part of a national effort to boost east-coast coal supplies and limit soaring electricity bills, NSW Treasurer Matt Kean issued final directions to the state’s coal exporters earlier this week requiring them to hold back 5 per cent of each mine’s output volumes for use by the state’s coal-fired power stations.

Thermal coal prices have surged to record highs since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Credit:Peter Davis

Coal diverted under the NSW reservation scheme will be capped at $125 a tonne – vastly lower than the elevated prices that Australian coal cargoes have been fetching on international export markets due to the war in Ukraine worsening a global energy crunch.

Under pressure from the coal industry, Kean this week lowered the reservation requirement from an initial range of between 7-10 per cent to 5 per cent. The government also confirmed any miner that can demonstrate production costs exceeding the cap of $125 per tonne could apply to increase the cap, and companies would not be made to break pre-existing contracts.

However, major coal producers have renewed warnings this week that the NSW intervention risks disrupting the market and causing negative long-term consequences.

BHP, the largest Australian mining company, said the reservation requirement raised questions about the future of its giant Mount Arthur coal mine in the NSW Hunter Valley, which employs 2000 people.

“There is still significant uncertainty as to how the directions will operate in practice,” BHP vice-president of NSW energy coal Adam Lancey said.

“We remain concerned about the impacts to Mount Arthur Coal’s operations and business model, regional infrastructure such as the rail network, and our commitments to the community.”

In an email to staff last month, BHP said the reservation policy could force the company to re-evaluate its existing plans to continue operating Mount Arthur until 2030.

The coal reservation plan is aimed at lowering the cost of running large coal-fired power plants in a bid to tame the soaring wholesale electricity prices that will ultimately flow through to people’s bills. Left unchecked, east-coast power prices had been forecast to increase by more than 50 per cent by 2024, according to the federal Treasury.

Kean said the policy’s impact was apparent already as electricity futures contracts – those bought by retailers and large customers to lock in supplies at a later date – had fallen by 41 per cent since the price caps were first announced late last year.

He said the reservation requirement was a “modest ask” of the state’s coal producers, which had exported more than $61 billion of coal through the Port of Newcastle last year.

NSW coal miners that sell domestically are already subject to a temporary $125-a-tonne cap on local sales of intermediate-grade thermal coal. The state government has said the intention of the coal reservation plan was to help “even the playing field” between the state’s coal miners selling into the local market and those exporting their product.

The state’s biggest coal producer, Glencore, extracts about 30 per cent of the state’s thermal coal, but under the government’s final directions, the company said it is expected to provide up to 65 per cent of the state’s coal shortfall.

“We don’t know how the NSW Treasurer can talk about levelling the playing field for coal companies,” Glencore said.

Both Glencore and ASX-listed Whitehaven Coal posted record earnings on Thursday, inflated by soaring coal prices. Investors, wary about future softening in coal prices and rising costs, marked the miners down, with the share price of most major producers slipping on the Australian bourse.

Benchmark prices of high-quality thermal coal traded at the Port of Newcastle more than tripled last year to a record high of more than $US400 a tonne. However, prices have plunged 47 per cent so far this year as milder-than-average winters in Europe and parts of Asia have subdued demand.

“The fall in seasonal demand in the Northern Hemisphere ... will likely keep coal prices under pressure,” Commonwealth Bank mining and energy analyst Vivek Dhar said. “But we think it’s premature to think that thermal coal prices will return back to pre‑Ukraine war levels.”

While the coal market is expected to remain tight for some time yet the longer-term outlook remains deeply uncertain as countries across the world speed up plans to move away from carbon-intensive fossil fuels and embrace cleaner sources of energy.

Whitehaven on Thursday said it was finalising plans to meet its obligations under the reservation scheme. “This is largely a political issue. That is my concern,” chief executive Paul Flynn aid. “There’s not a shortage of coal going around, it’s a price issue.”

Yancoal chief executive David Moult said the scheme was rushed and poorly designed.

“Yancoal’s logistics are set up to export coal internationally – they are not geared towards domestic coal sales and redirecting coal to domestic customers could prove resource- and cost-intensive,” he said. “The scheme presents significant logistical challenges and will be disruptive to supplying coal to export markets.”

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Controversial and time-restricted wind farm wins local council backing - RenewEconomy

Plans to build a 900MW wind farm on Robbins Island in north-west Tasmania have taken another step forward after the massive project was given local council approval.

Circular Head Council on Thursday voted in favour of the 122 turbine wind farm, at a meeting attended by more than 100 people.

The project, which is being developed by Acen Australia (formerly UPC\AC Renewables) has been the subject of some controversy, both locally and more broadly in Tasmania, based on concerns of its impact on Robbins Island and its flora and fauna.

In December of last year, the wind farm received approval from the state’s Environmental Protection Authority, but under the extraordinary condition that all 122 of the project’s turbines are shut down for a total of five months of each year.

These “significant mitigation measures” were determined by the Tasmania EPA’s board to protect the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot during periods of migration.

According to the EPA’s report, 383 representations were received in relation to the permit application, covering a range of issues including potential impacts to threatened birds and animals, threatened native vegetation and flora species and noise emissions.

Some of the more vocal critics of Robbins Island have included local groups like the Circular Head Coastal Awareness Network and BirdLife Tasmania, as well as the founder and former leader of the Australian Greens, Bob Brown, who in 2019 said the project’s benefits were outweighed by its impacts on scenery and bird life.

Tasmanian Greens environment spokesperson Dr Rosalie Woodruff said last month that Robbins Island was “simply the wrong place” for a wind farm.

“While the EPA has put in place a five-month shutdown condition to protect the orange-bellied parrot, the other conditions in their approval will not be enough to stop significant impacts on the many other species that inhabit this internationally-significant island ecosystem,” Woodruff said.

Still, the local council has sided with the project going ahead, with five votes in favour to one opposing – although ABC News reports that three other councillors could not vote after declaring conflicts of interest.

According to the ABC report, Circular Head Councillor Tony Hine described the Robbins Island wind farm as a “critical thing for Tasmania.”

“Somewhere along the line, we have got to try and generate the electricity that allows you to cook your toast in the morning, and all those sorts of things,” he said.

“We’ve got to keep moving forward. This project is shovel-ready.”

ACEN Australia’s David Pollington welcomed the council’s approval.

“We believe that Robbins Island Wind offers the right mix of benefits and opportunities for the Circular Head region and the state of Tasmania.

“It’s an exciting next step in the project’s journey that will help lower electricity prices for all Tasmanians,” he said.

The councillor who voted against the project, Sally Collins, cited “grave concerns” about the impact the wind turbines and associated infrastructure would have on the “scenic community.”

All told, the Robbins Island Renewable Energy Park proposes install up to 122 wind turbines over the western two-thirds of the island and potentially battery storage. It is being built alongside the nearby Jim’s Plain Renewable Energy Park, also owned by ACEN, which will include up to 31 wind turbines and solar PV up to 240MW.

The Robbins Island project includes construction of up to three substations on Robbins Island, underground electrical infrastructure, and construction of a bridge between Robbins Island and the mainland and of a wharf for delivery of project components.

Transmission of electricity from the project site is proposed via a new transmission line from Robbins Island Road to Sheffield – a separate project that is subject to its own environmental impact assessments.

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Controversial and time-restricted wind farm wins local council backing - RenewEconomy
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Local injured in Norlane stabbing - bay 93.9 Geelong - Bay 93.9

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Local injured in Norlane stabbing - bay 93.9 Geelong  Bay 93.9
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Faulty Local Government Consultation Needs Fixing - Tasmanian Greens MPs

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Faulty Local Government Consultation Needs Fixing  Tasmanian Greens MPs
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2023 Ineos Grenadier: First local deliveries due in April, long wait for new orders - Drive

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2023 Ineos Grenadier: First local deliveries due in April, long wait for new orders  Drive
2023 Ineos Grenadier: First local deliveries due in April, long wait for new orders - Drive
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Nuclear submarine chief says local build to start by 2030 - The Australian Financial Review

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Nuclear submarine chief says local build to start by 2030  The Australian Financial Review
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Regional community newspapers grow, bucking industry trends of closures and job loss - ABC News

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Regional community newspapers grow, bucking industry trends of closures and job loss  ABC News
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The secrets behind Kia's local suspension tune, by the engineer responsible | Interview - Drive

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The secrets behind Kia's local suspension tune, by the engineer responsible | Interview  Drive
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Insurance crisis deepens for homes, business and local councils in flood prone areas of northern NSW - ABC News

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Insurance crisis deepens for homes, business and local councils in flood prone areas of northern NSW  ABC News
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Onshore wind: 'I've saved £200 because of my local turbine' - BBC

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Onshore wind: 'I've saved £200 because of my local turbine'  BBC
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Regional theatres are on their knees – support your local one - The Guardian

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Regional theatres are on their knees – support your local one  The Guardian
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Farmers plead for Aussies to buy local flowers this Valentine's Day - 9News

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Local pool celebrates milestone - bay 93.9 Geelong - Bay 93.9

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GrowthOps adds to local agency portfolio, acquiring Australian PR firm, Forward - Mumbrella

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Council launches local road audit - The Standard

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Paramount restructure sees local executives impacted - Mumbrella

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Russian reinforcements pour into eastern Ukraine ahead of anticipated new offensive, local governor says - ABC News

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Everybody appearing at Bourke Local Court, Wednesday, February 8 - Daily Telegraph

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ABC's reporting of local meeting in Alice Springs left residents 'gutted' - Sky News Australia

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Sharp fielding across the country as local stars shine - cricket.com.au

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Local solutions supported in NT as communities back alcohol bans - Sky News Australia

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Sharp fielding across the country as local stars shine - cricket.com.au

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Local solutions supported in NT as communities back alcohol bans - Sky News Australia

Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek says the best solutions are local solutions and that it makes a lot of sense for Northern Territory communities to support alcohol bans.

“I know the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister will be discussing the report I believe today,” Ms Plibersek told Sky News Australia.

“I think listening to the Dorelle Anderson is a very good start.”

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Local solutions supported in NT as communities back alcohol bans - Sky News Australia
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Local solutions supported in NT as communities back alcohol bans - Sky News Australia

Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek says the best solutions are local solutions and that it makes a lot of sense for Northern Territory communities to support alcohol bans.

“I know the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister will be discussing the report I believe today,” Ms Plibersek told Sky News Australia.

“I think listening to the Dorelle Anderson is a very good start.”

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Local solutions supported in NT as communities back alcohol bans - Sky News Australia
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Everybody appearing at Lismore Local Court, Thursday, February 2 - Lismore Northern Star

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