MEDIA RELEASE

30 May 2012

NEW ENGLAND WIND FARM STUDY TOUR ANNOUNCED

New England Wind have announced their inaugural wind farm study tour, which will take in NSW's largest commercial wind farm, Capital Wind Farm near Canberra. According to Project Director, Adam Blakester, gaining first hand experience of modern wind farms is going to play a key part in the success of the New England community wind farm. Hepburn Wind, Australia's first fully operational community-owned wind farm, identified study tours like this as one of their most important strategies, said Blakester. The direct, first-hand experience gained helps build a strong community understanding and support base ~ which in turn is so key to successfully developing our own community wind farm. The Study Tour will depart Armidale on 13 September 2012 and return two days later on 15 September, with the guided site tour of Capital Wind Wind Farm, operated by Infigen, scheduled for the morning of Friday 14 September. Growing the number of our community who can confidently speak first hand about the benefits and workings of modern wind farms and wind power will play a key part in successfully developing our community wind farm, added Blakester. The Tour will also be fun, with sight seeing and recreation activities scheduled including two nights in the centre of Canberra, and lunch stops at Tuscany Estate, Hunter Valley and Caf Woodworks, Bungendore Village. Over the past two years of planning for New England Wind, strong interest has been expressed in visiting a working wind farm. Places are limited to the first 45 bookings, with pricing structured to recover the costs of coach travel, tour coordination and administration. Deposits are due no later than 30 June 2012 to provide time to finalise logistics and bookings. Full details can be found online at www.newenglandwind.coop or by contacting Liz Gardiner, Tour Coordinator on info@newenglandwind.coop or 6778-7249 for more details or to make your booking. New England Wind is an initiative of local community organisation Starfish Enterprises and led by a Consortium which includes Southern New England Landcare, Embark, Sustainable Living Armidale, The Community Mutual Group, Environmental Defenders' Office (Northern Rivers) and the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage.

MEDIA CONTACT | ADAM BLAKESTER | PROJECT DIRECTOR

02 6775 2501 | 0419 808 900 adam@starfishenterprises.net www.newenglandwind.coop is an initiative of www.starfishenterprises.net