Moorabool wind farm confusion

In a letter to the council's mayor, Mr Madden outlined the reasons for his decision but contradicted them in another document.

To add to the confusion, the letter was addressed to former mayor Michael Tudball, who has not held the role for the past five months.

Mayor Pat Toohey said the minister's advice was confusing given the previous Yaloak Wind Farm was refused because it had significant environmental impacts, including on the wedge-tailed eagle.

But in Mr Madden's letter regarding the current Pacific Hydro 14-turbine proposal, he stated it was "unlikely to have a significant effect" on fauna.

He said the potential effects on landscape values and visual amenity in the Brisbane Ranges National Park was unlikely to be of major significance.

In another document, Mr Madden said the potential effects on both the landscape and the wedge-tailed eagle population would "warrant careful consideration".

Opposition planning minister Matthew Guy yesterday slammed the the state government's decision.

"Council have every right to be deeply concerned about their shire not being dealt with seriously by the Minister for Planning, who can't get basic details right and contradicts himself in his own correspondence," Mr Guy said.

A spokeswoman for Mr Madden said the minister's decision, the reasons for applying the conditions he did, and the supporting documents, were clear and publicly available.

Meanwhile, council wants Mr Madden to call in the planning application for the Yaloak South Wind Farm. It wants Mr Madden to consider the wind farm together with West Wind Energy's 110-turbine Moorabool Wind Farm, because the two are separated by one road.

"Given VCAT or council can only assess those on an individual basis ... if they're both being handled through the minister's process, he can look at the two applications at the same time and make an assessment," Cr Toohey said.