PLANNING Minister Justin Madden has been caught up in yet another controversy, this time involving a conflict of interest claim over a wind farm.
Opponents of the Moorabool Wind Energy Facility have launched a legal bid to delay a panel hearing into the project.
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The opponents claim that Mr Madden's brother-in-law, Mark Conlan, and Mr Conlan's aunt, Helen Conlan, will profit from the project.
They want the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to rule that the hearing not proceed until the claims of conflict of interest are investigated.
The Brisbane Ranges Landscape Guardians issued a press release this week claiming Mr Madden's "relatives by marriage are believed to be hosting turbines".
Mount Wallace landowner Sue Giddins said opponents of the project had been "trying to get people to listen about a potential conflict of interest between Justin Madden and the Conlan family".
"I just want it investigated because there seems to be a conflict of interest but no one wants to know about it," Ms Giddins said.
However, Mark Conlan said his aunt would host some turbines if the project went ahead, but none would be built on his property.
Mr Conlan said it was possible his property could be used for native vegetation offsets under the Bush Broker scheme to compensate for the removal of native grasses during construction of the wind farm.
He also said he might receive a small fee if the wind farm developer, West Wind Energy, used a road on his property for access.
"As far as I can see he (Mr Madden) won't be making the decision so how can there be a conflict of interest?" Mr Conlan said.
A spokeswoman for Mr Madden said the wind farm was "currently being assessed by an independent planning panel at arms-length from government".
"Given the early stages of the planning process, the minister has not have been advised of the design and location of turbines or the specifics of the development," she said.
"Following the raising of these inaccurate allegations we have established that no turbines will be located on Mr Conlan's land.
"There are strict arrangements in place to deal with conflicts of interest and should it be appropriate, the minister can delegate the planning decision."
