Business View Oceania | March 2020

85 86 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA MARCH 2020 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA MARCH 2020 Coverforce is Australia’s largest privately owned insurance broker. Our trustedadvisors areproud to deliver insurance and risk advice to awide variety of Australian businesses across the renewable energy sector. Since our inception we’ve worked hard to provide better rates, smarter solutions and be easier to do business with. We see our strong year-on-year growth and positive client feedback as proof we are getting this right. We’d love to welcome you as a valued Coverforce client, contact us today to experience the difference for yourself. 1800 986 445 | info@coverforce.com.au www.coverforce.com.au WESTWIND ENERGY PTY LTD of WestWind Energy, explains, “We advocate as a company on behalf of wind energy but we’re also members of various industry associations and not-for-profit bodies such as the Australian Wind Alliance. We do lobby work through both channels. We find often the decision makers in government departments very much appreciate direct contact with people that employ people on the ground and develop projects on their own, rather than just advocacy bodies. They want to hear directly from the companies that are driving it.” In terms of development and planning, WestWind Energy does those key functions inhouse but also outsources much of the specialised work to expert consultants. In Australia, government departments prefer that a lot of environmental and other studies are conducted by independent experts. The WestWind role involves managing those independent consultants. But the company’s bread and butter is identifying suitable locations for wind energy projects and then securing land access and rights to develop projects. “Liaising directly with landholders is one of those core functions that we will not outsource,” says Geiger. “Because the landholders want to know who they’re talking to and that those people are also the ones who make the decisions. So one of the important functions to keep inhouse is your relationship building with your key stakeholders. The landholders are predominantly farmers, mostly family businesses, although we do have some corporate farmers as well. If we get contacted by a landholder we do a quick desktop assessment of where that land They believe in building and creating a diverse team that are supportive of each other’s efforts, loyal to one another, and respect each other. Team members think big, have fun, and feel proud of the work they do. WestWind Energy’s first development, Mt Mercer Wind Farm, was acquired as a green field site by New Zealand’s Meridian Energy in 2009. Today, 64 Senvion MM92 wind turbines are spinning at Mt Mercer, with an installed capacity of approximately 130MW the wind farm produces enough electricity to power more than 70,000 average homes. Two further developments, Moorabool Wind Farm (350MW) and Lal Lal Wind Farm (216 MW) have been developed, permitted and sold in 2016 and 2017. Currently, the Golden Plains Wind Farm project is undertaking detailed design work, prior to construction. Wind energy is growing as an industry sector and having the ear of the government is important. In that regard, Tobias Geiger, Managing Director