Wind farm meeting
WOW. That is all I can say about this Keri Keri renewable energy project.
A firm called Acciona Energia is planning a massive project on a station property called Keri Keri.
About halfway between Moulamein and Balranald.
The scale of this project is just beyond comprehension for an old cocky like me.
The wind farm will be spread over 18,000 hectares. This could be as many as 176 turbines that will be as high as 260 metres at the tip of their blades.
There is also a plan for a 1000ha solar farm out there that could have as many as 900,000 panels to feed power into the grid.
This project could employ as many as 400 during the construction period and maybe up to a dozen workers to maintain this project.
They will probably build a village out there while they are in the building mode.
But, there will be plenty of chances for our local businesses to supply services.
They will need gravel for the roads, someone to build the roads, cement and plenty of it, water for building the roads and for the cement. Accommodation, if any is available.
Catering and cleaning.
A workforce like that needs to be fed and cleaned up while they are at work.
There will be plenty of other opportunities available for local businesses as well as workers.
Construction may start as early as 2024 and be fully operating by 2028 everything going to plan.
Let’s hope a few footy and netballers get a job out there.
Evidently, our district has been nominated by our government to encourage renewable energy projects.
This is great because there is another meeting coming up to talk about the Baldon wind farm project.
I know nothing about this one yet, but it can only be great for our district.
There are two information days coming up in Moulamein. This project is only at the early stages of development.
The first information day is at the Moulamein Bowling Club from 2pm until 4pm on February 23.
The second information day will be held at the bowling club the following day, from 5pm until 7pm.
After today’s meeting with Acciona Energia, come in and ask any question you like. They are only too willing to answer it and they answered their phone after they left our club to give me more information.
The budget for the Keri Keri project would scare anyone except for my mate, Dodgy Dan, who can spend over a billion dollars to not build a road and blow out only one of his projects by over $3b so far.
It will get worse getting back to the good news of hopefully money well spent.
This Acciona mob will be spending around the two billion mark in our district.
That is two thousand million dollars for this project. You could buy the district for that I recon.
Two billion dollars and we still have the Baldon project to get up and going.
On a personal note, I have a few paddocks out here that would look good under a wind turbine or solar panels. Just a thought if anyone in charge is reading this.
My sheep would love some shade as there are no trees out here. I will try and give you more technical information next week as I am still trying to get over the two billion price tag.
Like clockwork
EVERY year that I am emptying my water storage, my mates, the pelicans, turn up to get the carp.
I do not know how they know, but there has only been one year that they did not turn up.
This resulted in about a tonne of dead carp in the pump sump.
This was in 2016 during the floods, so they had better places to be.
Within just over a week, about 200 odd turned up.
Then just as quick they were gone to their next feed.
When you look at it, if you are going to be a water bird in a place like Australia, you have to know where to go to get a feed before everyone else does that eats what you eat. After about 10 days, not one pelican left.
Bowls
IT is down to the pointy end of the season and next week the finals start.
Division 1 played Racecourse this week and no matter what the result was, we could not go out of the four.
Unfortunately, we played like that and went down in all rinks by a cricket score.
We front up to Swan Hill at Racecourse next week for the elimination final.
Last time we played them, it came down to the last bowl of the day to go down.
They will be shaking in their boots this week to meet up with us again.
Division 4 went into this weekend in second spot. A shoe in for the finals we thought.
Lake Boga had other ideas and got up on both rinks.
From caviar to boiled lollies in one game.
Unfortunately, our Division 4 went from second to fifth in one game, the competition is that close.
Bugger, no finals for our Division 4 mates.
Well done to Division 4, almost got there.
If you are in Swan Hill next Saturday afternoon, come out to Racecourse and cheer us on against Swan Hill.
First time in the finals for any of our bowls teams for a lot of years and we want to stay there.
Let’s hope there are a few old fellers that can build wind farms for the next few years that pull the red and white on.
River levels
OUR Edward is rising at 2.8 metres and just over 3400 megalitres a day.
This will start to drop next week.
Get out and get that cod you have been chasing while it is rising.
There are still plenty of subway cod getting landed as well as a few keepers and the odd line snapper.
