A Phillip Island man has defended the construction of a backyard wind turbine in his beachside town as a response to electricity grid instability.
Surf Beach resident Rob McKittrick said the process of researching, engineering and building the wind turbine in compliance with local laws had taken 11 years.
"This is the way forward for renewable energy, in the middle of winter it doesn't matter how many batteries we have because the sun doesn't always shine and the grid doesn't always hold up," he told ABC Gippsland's Breakfast show.
"I have sleep apnoea, I need a reliable power source: I now have one."
Neighbour Ian Juster said some in the surrounding community were concerned about the noise the turbine would emit.
"Everybody is petrified that they'll be kept awake at night by the sounds of a wind turbine," he said.
"There's a gentleman who lives next door who has some health issues with his heart. I checked in on him and his hands are literally shaking with anxiety," Mr Juster said.
Responding to claims by neighbours, Mr McKittrick said he presented an extensive dossier to Bass Coast Council.
"I've presented a document to council, it's got soil reports, engineers' reports, bird sanctuary zoning, noise information. It shows that solar panels aren't enough with the system I've got there."
He also dismissed concerns from neighbours that he built the turbine as a commercial enterprise.
"The solar does not go to the grid, it just goes to the batteries for self-consumption.
"The fact is I was allowed to put the turbine up, I went and got the appropriate qualifications."
Council on the lookout
Bass Coast Shire Council chief executive Ali Wastie said the council shared the community's concerns about the turbine but was powerless to stop the turbine from being built.
"Council exhausted all available planning avenues including writing to the Minister for Planning to intervene," she said.
She added that council would monitor the turbine to make sure it did not breach local laws.
"Now it has been erected, if it is found that the turbine breaches any compliance requirement or council's local law [such as height, noise, commercial in nature, used for advertising purposes], then council will pursue all enforcement options available to ensure the breach is fully rectified," she said.
