PREMIER Daniel Andrews will join Ararat community members to celebrate the arrival of the first turbine blade for Ararat Wind Farm on Wednesday morning.
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The blade shipment that arrived earlier this month in Portland weighed included 225-metre blades at more than 2000 tonnes.
It will also see parent company RES Australia increase employment for the wind farm to 165 full-time jobs.
RES Australia’s Matt Rebbeck said Mr Andrews’ presence at the arrival ceremony showed the state government’s ongoing support for the project.
“Today is a proud moment for RES Australia and the Ararat community and shows the result of our deep involvement and long term engagement over the last ten years,” he said.
“We are particularly pleased to have Mr Andrews officiate today’s events in an ongoing act of support for the Ararat Wind Farm project and renewable energy developments in the state of Victoria.
He said the arrival symbolised a decade of work that had gone into the project.
Mr Andrews said the state government wanted to see the wind farm project do well in Victoria.
“The Ararat Wind Farm is a fantastic project that is creating hundreds of jobs and injecting millions of dollars into the local economy,” he said.
“The arrival of the blades is an important milestone and it's great the community can come together to celebrate this event.
“The wind farm industry almost died under the Liberals, however Labor wants to see it grow and prosper.
“This is great for jobs and great for the environment.”
GE Australia and New Zealand chief executive Geoff Culbert said the project had reached a critical point in its development.
“At a time of significant change and as Australians look towards economic future built on the power of innovation, we think that the Ararat Wind Farm marks an exciting attitudinal shift towards renewables,” he said.
“As we anticipate the delivery of the first blade for the farm, we’re excited to also welcome the 165 workers from the local community who are so integral to the project’s completion on time and to scale.”
The Ararat Wind Farm has set up a fund to support community causes.
A total of $75,000 each year will be contributed to the three municipalities surrounding the farm.
The event will run from 9am to 10.30am.
