Plans have been unveiled for a 33-turbine wind farm overlooking the site of the former Hazelwood coal-fired power station in Victoria.

Formal notices about the Delburn wind farm in Victoria’s Strzelecki Ranges have been posted to all landowners and residents within 5km of the project across three different local government areas.

Residents can now make a submission on the project or book time at a public panel hearing later in the year.

The proposed site for the wind farm is in pine forest plantation land overlooking the old Hazelwood coal-fired power station, which was Australia’s dirtiest fossil fuel power plant before it was taken offline. It has now been partially demolished. 

It is unclear whether locals will be accepting of the new facility, after a 160 metre tall meteorological mast that was measuring wind conditions at the site was vandalised.

A group called the Strzelecki Community Alliance argues that the project’s turbines will be “too close to homes, too close to communities”.

“Anyone who makes a submission on the proposal will be asked if they wish to be heard at the public panel hearing that is scheduled for two weeks commencing on 18 October 2021,” developer OSMI said in a statement. 

“Further details in relation to this process will be published closer to the date.

“For people who would like to understand how the wind farm would look in the landscape, OSMI will have Virtual Reality headsets in their Mirboo North Office at 52 Ridgway during the exhibition period.”

The proposed wind farm should be able to generate up to 200MW of electricity.