Technology with potential to prevent birds being killed by turbines at Tasmanian wind farms has caught the attention of the national wind farm commissioner.
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The collision risk to birds, including wedge-tailed eagles, is one of the key arguments being used by opponents of UPC Renewables' potential huge wind farm at Robbins Island.
Former Australian Greens leader Bob Brown and the environmentalist Bob Brown Foundation are among critics of the project.
"Clearly, there is an unreasonable threat posed to eagles from this project," foundation campaigner Scott Jordan said earlier this year.
"And it's not just the eagles."
Following a visit to Tasmania during the week, wInd farm commissioner Andrew Dyer has high hopes for a technology to be used at Goldwind's Cattle Hill Wind Farm, which is being built in the Central Highlands.
The IdentiFlight technology uses cameras to detect bird movement and shuts down turbines in the area.
UPC is considering similar methods for Robbins Island.
Mr Dyer said he was very keen to see how well the technology worked once Cattle Hill was up and running.
"(Robbins Island) is clearly an incredible site for wind," Mr Dyer said.
"It has some work to be done in terms of access to the island."
He said the biggest constraint was transmission.
That would involve a line from Circular Head to the Sheffield area, which had also raised concerns in the community.
"There will be some environmental battles in terms of bird and other species, but they're probably resolvable," Mr Dyer said.
He said the critical things to work through would be logistics - getting workers and material to and from the island - and the transmission line.
Mr Dyer met the Circular Head Council and Robbins Island opponents during his visit, toured Robbins Island with UPC, visited Cattle Hill and and met Energy Minister Guy Barnett, Hydro Tasmania, bird experts and residents near the potential St Patricks Plains wind farm in the Highlands.
The Robbins Island project would need Circular Head Council approval.
Mayor Daryl Quilliam said public concerns should be addressed.
"Everybody's point of view needs be taken into consideration and heard," Cr Quilliam said.
"You never will make everybody happy, but we just need to make sure everybody's point of view is heard and, if things can be done to help the situation, I'm all for it."
According to the commissioner's website, the organisation's roles are:
- Facilitating the referral and resolution of complaints received from residents about proposed or operating wind farms, large-scale solar farms and energy storage facilities such as large-scale batteries;
- providing greater transparency on information related to wind farms, large-scale solar farms and energy storage; and
- identifying and promoting best practices related to the planning, development and operation of energy projects, including standards and compliance, complaint handling procedures and community engagement.
Mr Dyer said people with concerns were welcome to get in touch with the office.
