Hawkesbury. Council shuts down plant

Hawkesbury Council has shut down its co-generation plant, which was installed, in mid-2005, in the Deerubbin Centre, at a cost of $3.6 million. The plant generates electricity for the centre, its cafe and for the old hospital building. According to the company that installed it, it was supposed to pay for itself within eight years, but it has not made a profit yet, according to the Hawkesbury Gazette. Council voted to shut down the diesel generator for up to 12 months pending a business plan and a report, prepared by the general manager, Peter Jackson, comparing the cost of buying in electricity and running the plant.