Three competing appeals have been lodged against planning approval for a $1.6-billion wind farm on an island off Tasmania's north-west coast.
The decades-long proposal to create a wind farm on Robbins Island was given the go-ahead last year by the Environment Protection Authority.
Approval was given on the condition the turbines would be non-operational for five months of the year to protect critically endangered orange-bellied parrots.
Clean energy company and proponent ACEN Australia said the "confusing" operating condition would effectively kill the project.
However, a second group, Bob Brown Foundation (BBF), claimed the approval was "half-baked" and "rushed".
A third community group, the Circular Head Coastal Awareness Network Inc (CHCHAN) said the "deplorable" visual impact of the turbines on the natural environment had not been taken into account.
All three parties on Tuesday lodged appeals against the decision in the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, the last possible day to appeal the EPA's approval.
Condition not communicated earlier: ACEN
ACEN chief operations officer David Pollington said the decision to limit the farm's operations to just seven months a year was "disappointing" and "confusing".
"We came to the conclusion that the five-month shutdown … just simply meant the project could not proceed," he said.
"I've been in the industry more than 30 years now and I've never seen anything like that.
"It certainly had not been communicated [or] discussed with us in any shape or form during the six years of work that we did with the various government departments."
Mr Pollington said evidence for the orange-bellied parrot was slim and that other conditions in the approval made the five-month shutdown condition redundant.
"It's not known whether they actually go across the island," he said.
"There are no records of it … the last time a bird was seen to the west of the island was in 2003."
Mr Pollington said the project could go ahead under the conditions, but the mandatory shutdown made the cost of power "too high".
"We want these projects to drive electricity prices down and provide for cheap, reliable renewable energy," he said.
Approval 'incomplete': BBF
Meanwhile, environmental lobby group BBF has lodged its own counter-appeal against the approval with campaigner Scott Jordan labelling it "half-baked".
"They have approved the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere, in Australia's most significant migratory bird flyway, without knowing how many turbines, the size of the turbines, the colour, the lighting or even where they will be sited."
He said the "incomplete" approval relied on the data from future reports and made a "mockery" of the planning system.
"The EPA did, however, impose a condition requiring a five-month shutdown each year to protect the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot during its migration," Mr Jordan said.
"[It] is one of five critically endangered species on the island. The other four received no protections in the approval."
Community group oppose 'blemish' on island
The third group, CHCHAN, also lodged an appeal on Tuesday.
"The wind turbines fail to minimise the visual impact on the broader landscape," said group chair and Circular Head Councillor Steve Pilkington.
"The turbines that have been approved are up to 270 metres high.
"The height of the turbines is deplorable and will be a blemish on the natural environment of Robbins Island.
"It is the wrong location for a large-scale industrial wind farm such as has been approved by council and we have high community support to challenge this appalling approval."
Cr Pilkington declared a non-pecuniary interest and abstained from voting when the matter came before the council last month.
All three appeals will be considered by the independent body Tasmanian Civil & Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT), which Mr Pollington says will likely take six months.
He said the TASCAT outcome could additionally be appealed through the court system, depending on its basis.
