Hills of Gold Wind Farm

I write as a rural property owner in Nundle. The property has been in my husband's family for generations.
We have a strong connection to the land and village.
We have been disturbed by the proposal for the Hills of Gold Wind Farm since it was publicised in March 2018.
We do not agree with the major associated landholder's motives in deliberately purchasing ridge top country over several years with a view to attracting a wind farm developer.
His pre-meditated plan appears to sabotage the spirit of community that we have observed and enjoyed. The landholder's behaviour demonstrates an attitude of arrogance and tyranny, not listening to the majority of the community and imposing this development at any cost.
The fact that wind masts were erected for eight years without it being general knowledge in the community is wrong. Constructing wind masts should be publicised for future communities affected.
We hope that the assessment process is not corrupt and is able to see the Nundle Hanging Rock landscape for what it offers environmentally as it is.
The proposal would negatively impact more people locally than it would help.
The proposal has already impacted my emotional and physical wellbeing. It is distressing that the Hills of Gold Wind Farm proposal will potentially damage an area of outstanding natural beauty through clearing native vegetation and construction of roads and infrastructure on the range.
Personally, I am concerned about the health impacts of wind farms for communities, for example shadow flicker and pulsing air pressure.
The economic cost of constructing a wind farm, including components, transport, clearing, construction, and fuel, does not justify its 30% operating efficiency. There are other renewable solutions including small and large scale solar.
The whole assessment process has been unsettling and we look forward to this proposal being rejected so our community can reunite.

I believe by placing the proposed wind farm in this location would not only destroy the flora and fauna of this beautiful area but will cause irreparable damage to the land and surrounding areas with heavy machinery working in difficult terrain required for this project.
I strongly believe in renewable energy for the future but a much better option would be to find a suitable location in a open and easier accessible area that would not impact so heavily on the landscape as it would at Nundle.

I strongly support the proposed Hills of Gold Wind Farm near Nundle NSW for the following reasons:
1. Renewable energy is part of the transition away from polluting fossil fuels and we must develop it as fast as possible to avoid catastrophic climate change. As an older person I believe it is important to leave the world in a better state for younger generations. Now that we are able to develop energy sources that do not contribute to global warming I believe we should advance them as quickly as possible.
2. I feel confident about the processes undertaken over the last few years to minimise the environmental impact of the project and any detrimental effects to the community. I appreciate the efforts made by the proponents to keep the community informed and to have the opportunity to make comments and suggestions.
3. Nundle village is suffering a decline in population, economic activity and services. The Hills of Gold wind farm will provide new job opportunities, bring new investment to the town and to farmers in the district and improve critical infrastructure such as roads and bridges.The wind farm will bring new people and skills to the area and have direct economic benefit as well as indirect benefits such as increases in tourism. When I moved to Nundle 35 years ago, we had a butcher, a baker, a bank and a doctor 3 days a week and the school went to year 10. The population decline lost all these services. I believe the increased economic activity resulting from the wind farm will increase the number of services and businesses in the town and make the school and existing services more viable.
4. I firmly believe that the wind farm will increase tourism in the area with direct benefit to the community.
I do not see any detrimental effects resulting from this project. I hope the project proceeds quickly and we see wind turbines across the Hills of Gold soon.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
RE: HILLS OF GOLD WIND FARM APPLICATION NO. SSD 9679
• I am attaching my submission to the above mentioned development application
• I hereby declare that I object to the Hills of Gold Wind Farm proposal ID no. SSD 9679
• I would like my personal details withheld
• I have not made any reportable political donations in the previous 2 years
Please see the attached wind farm submission

I object to this project and strongly ask you to reconsider this. I am a strong advocate of renewable energy but please think about this project and what it aims to achieve. Ticking a box on renewable energy means nothing if it comes at the expense of wildlife destruction and more clearing of nature. This project needs to be considered holistically with a longer term view to achieve true sustainability.. which can only come if we preserve nature and biodiversity in all our future endeavours. Otherwise we are just trading off a tick on the climate agenda at the expanse of continued loss of biodiversity and wildlife destruction. If the government cannot see this, we seriously have no hope.
There are plenty of built up areas all along the coast of NSW where we could introduce renewable energy without expanding our destruction on nature. Please consider this objection and what you are truly trying to achieve with this project.
There is no price that should be placed on nature... none.

I write as a young Aboriginal man to object to the proposed windfarm. It is significantly going to impact on my family, my traditional lands and my way of life. The proposal has caused huge division within the community. Our property borders the project and there has been no negotiation at all in relation to the placement of the turbines. We asked for impacts on our property to be included in the aviation study as we run a primary production business. Consultation did not occur.
My sister travels to and from Quirindi on a daily basis along with another 15 students who attend Quirindi High School. The proposed transport route will take the current bus route. There will be a significant impact on the school bus run. I have major safety concerns in relation to this as it has not been addressed properly in the transport study. The fact that log trucks run from Hanging Rock to Werris Creek along the same path is going to be an issue. The school bus has to already contend with this danger. There is a point along the proposed transport route that the school bus must stop and students have to change buses. This has not been considered in the transport study. Again, a major safety concern. I know that the transport company who transports the logs from the forestry, Smith's Transport, has not been contacted by the proponent to discuss the impacts. They are a separate entity to Forestry NSW.
The cumulative impact that the turbines will have on the landscape is not acceptable. We have still not been supplied with our photomontages which were promised. We met the photographers on site, pictures taken and it has been over 8 months now and we have still not received them in time for this objection. They have been requested 3 times, including through the CCC and this is in the minutes. The proponent is avoiding handing them over as the impact is so great.
As an Aboriginal person, I object to the industrialisation of my doorstep. The connection to the land is important and this development will again diminish this and industrialise a landscape that my extended family use regularly for meeting and ceremony.
The siting of the turbines was done by and engineer overseas who has not set foot on the site. This was attested to by Jamie Chivers. Members of the CCC have been denied access to the site by the majority landholder-how can proper consultation occur under these circumstances. The impact on the streets and businesses of a small town is going to be massive and is unacceptable. The guidelines for windfarms say they should not be built on ridge lines. This is the top of the Great Dividing Range and is in no way screened. The visual impact can not be mitigated. The transport study does not allow for the movement of emergency vehicles to Hanging Rock during transportation. It simply states signage will be in place. This will not allow an ambulance to pass and save a life. Nundle already has a pine forest on its ridge line which is currently being harvested. This is impacting significantly on the ridge. It also means that hundreds/thousands of acres have been cleared of native vegetation, this proposal will cause further clearing of our native environment. Offsets in other areas are not an acceptable response. The majority landowner has illegally cleared land and an environmental outcome has been decided. More clearing of the area should not be allowed as it has been cleared illegal already. The visual assessment report states that there are fleeting glimpses of the range. This is a lie. The range is the predominant feature of Nundle. The EIS also discusses the number of threatened species. The micro bat population is very important and there is a large population in the area. An offset is an unacceptable solution to the destruction of their habitat. We have a dwelling started under 2 kms from the turbines and there has been no negotiation at all except for the proponent handing us a neighbour agreement and telling us they wouldn't negotiate on the terms.

I have been in Nundle all my life and I am 52 years old. Nundle years ago everyone had a job with lots of employment opportunity's, with the local shire council, forestry, farms all employing locals. Two shops, three churches, bakery, butchery, doctor, our local school even had a high school which I attended. I fully support this project as we need to look to the future with our electricity needs, this project will help with green energy, provide much needed permanent jobs with the award wage, not like how some of the local businesses pay their workers at present, with better wages, families can stay around this beautiful area. This project will boost our tourism sector and put on Nundle of the map.

Nundle township and surrounds can only benefit from the wind farm during construction and following construction (if promises are met). I recall when Chaffey Dam was constructed in the 70's and Nundle was flourishing, roads were improved, infrastructure improved, school to Year 10, all the clubs were heavily subscribed, volunteers aplenty for every charity event, local businesses were thriving. Most importantly, there was employment for locals both directly and indirectly. I look forward to the glory days again!

The wind farm will be good for our local economy. It will generate more jobs, improve local services and infrastructure.

We are a corncerned community group in the Tamworth Shire so feel we have the right to voice our concerns.
The hills of gold windfarm proposal is completely inappropriate and in a world heritage site.
The need to be green is opening up to a cartel of Windfarm/solar cowboys to sign up inappropriate areas for possible proposal sites , causing unnecessary grief and despair to local affected communities.
There needs to be better foundations and guidelines so that the proposals that theses cowboys submit make sence.
THE HILLS OF GOLD proposal is inapproriate and placed in a world heritage national park .
The windfarm will turn the area into an industrial area , with blasting granite rock for foundations,red lights on the hubs for aerial
purposes but on the other hand decease the chances for fire fighting in the area because of the turbnines
seems its a vicious circle.
* negatives impacts on local and rural lifestyles beauty and amenity , property value losses that are dismissed consistently as unfounded but in actual fact have proven to be correct in Vic , which is a known established windfarm area .
Why would it be any different in NSW , the only winners in this will be the actual farms hosting the turbines at everyone elses loss.
* The negative impacts on Biodiversity and catchment hydrology. Substantial road works will increase the impacts of runoff , in turn affect waterways , increased erosion and reduced water quality , there in turn will affect natural water tables and springs.
* Wildlife has obviously not been considered in this project , the amount of birds eagles , koala habitats , wombats , numerous
other wildlife to many to list . The blasting of granite to create roads , the ridiculous amount of steel and concrete footings to install these monsters are hardly green . The amount of coal used to build something they are supposedly being built to replace is a conflict of interest. The amount of energy needed to produce a turbine that will never pay for it self in its life time .
We have spent many years researching this option and feel that this option in the absolute wrong one for the area , and sincerely
ask that this project be shelved along with many others planned for the northern Tablelands Area.
Possibly a great project in the absolute worst location possible.

I strongly oppose the proposed wind farm because of the immense and horrific devastation of the habitat of the native flora and fauna which will be caused if this project goes ahead. Wind turbines are responsible for killing massive numbers of large and small birds and bats - some to the point of extinction. The fragile ecology of our land is being destroyed to make way for a wind farm which is unsustainable and will never generate in energy the amount of fossil fuel it takes to manufacture and install it. All manufactured machines are non-renewable. The life of a wind turbine is around 20 years and then what will happen to them? Will they be responsibly removed or left to litter the previously pristine land? Who will pay for the garbage left behind? Where will it be buried? Meanwhile China is receiving billions of dollars in subsidies from Australian taxpayers and you want to approve this trash which is littering our planet and will destroy the Australian economy for future generations.

I object to this windfarm.
I am concerned that the massive bushfires in project area last year demonstrated that the whole area is so unsuitable for Turbines. The mountain range is a dangerous place especially for fire fighting aircraft and on the ground fire fighting personnel.


The proximity to the protected sphagnum mosses and old growth forests in Ben Hall National Park is totally unacceptable.

The amazing rains we have had recently show how the sensitive soil in the area on the top of the range can quickly erode especially after the enormous amount of clearing needed.


The photomontages completed and shown by the proponent..of the size of the turbines
on the range are extremely misleading and washed out. One turbine would stretch over Nundle Oval and adjoining playing field. I it was laid down...240metres...Demonstrating how misleading the montages in the
display are.

I wonder why the proponents have to resort to misleading montages to sell the project..

It is also interesting to note that Hanging Rock is
outside the Renewable Energy Zone of New England.

Thank you for reading this Objection.

I support the project because I think it will be good for the community. The windfarm will help in many ways in providing jobs and schools

I SUPPORT THE PROJECT. I BELIEVE IT IS IN GOOD

THE COAL FIELDS ARE CLOSING DOWN, THE WINDFARM IS GOOD ENERGY FOR NUNDLE AND SURROUNDING AREAS PLUS IT WILL BE GOOD FOR NUNDLE. WE HAVE BEEN RESIDENTS FOR 21 YEARS IN NUNDLE AND TOTALLY SUPPORT THE PROJECT TO GO AHEAD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. IT WILL CREATE JOBS FOR PEOPLE AND KEEP OUR ELECTRICITY ENERGY IN GOOD SUPPLY .

I am a local of Nundle and I Support the Hills of Gold Wind Farm project.

I have been coming to Nundle since I was 14 years old and I have lived at "The Head of the Peel" for the past 14 years with my wife and daughter. Since I have come to Nundle I have watched it slowly go backwards, the town used to have a butcher, a baker, a bank, a doctor 3 days a week, now all these services are gone. We used to have a general store that was a proper general store where as a farmer they stocked everything you needed and they also had fuel and now only the bottom shop has fuel.

There was also a lot more families that lived in the area with small children and now the town is mainly a retired community, so houses that used to have family's living in them now have 1 possibly 2 retired people living in them.
I believe the wind farm will create many opportunities with work for the locals and education on green power for our future generations
I support renewable energy with the forthcoming closure of Liddell and Bayswater power station.

I am a local Nundle community member, and I have lived in Nundle for the past 14 years.
I thoroughly support the Hills of Gold Wind farm as I am very concerned about Climate change.
How can we ignore the bush fires we have just been thru and and how can we not work on reducing our carbon emissions.
We are responsible for how we leave our planet for our children.

This area has an asset with the wind and we need to create wind power solutions where the wind is available in areas that have been tested over a long period of time as this area has been. This area is such an isolated area that should be used for a wind farm, it doesn't impact on many people and the community of Nundle and Hanging Rock should feel proud about doing something for climate change for our future generations.
We need to work on saving our water usage and wind farms use far less that traditional coal fired power stations.

There will be so many benefits for the community that will come with the wind farm, one of the big benefits will be the road improvements, lots of work for the locals during construction and jobs for the life of the wind farm and all the on flow jobs created from it.
The community fund can maintain our local hall's and clubs and create some play area's for the children as we have very limited play area's for them.
I am looking forward to the project going ahead.

I object to this wind farm development as I believe it will have negative impact on the environment and tourism to the Nundle/Hanging Rock area.

I moved to Nundle in 1989 and when I came to Nundle our village had a bank, a butcher shop, a baker shop, a local doctor 3 days a week and a store that sold basically everything you needed to run a farm with and now we have none of these services .
Our school had over one hundred children going to it and today we only have around 35 children enrolled at our school. With 12 children going to high school next year and we have only a few younger children starting school this year.
12 years ago I contacted AGL to see if they had any interest in building a wind farm on my property because I believe it is a very good place for a wind farm and they gave me the name of Wind Energy Partners and I was told the wind needed to be tested for 10 years.
I believed a wind farm would help the village not just survive but thrive, where everyone in the villages of Nundle and Hanging Rock would benefit from it if it went ahead.
We have tourists that visit the villages on some weekends but not every weekend but if the wind farm went ahead we could put in some Mountain Bike tracks, wind farm bus tours, guided family buggy tours on the farm and fishing and camping. This in turn would create many jobs thru the tourism itself.
We believe we could attract people 7 days a week to this area with a couple of adds in some magazines.
This wind farm was never just about me, we share these wind turbines with 7 farming families and more farming families along the transmission lines.
We know that when the farmers receive the income from the wind farm, they will spend their money on employing farm hands and spending money in the local area.
I have worked at Bayswater and Liddell Power Stations for the past 42 years and they are quickly coming to a use by date and I believe it is very important for this wind farm to go ahead to be able to provide electricity for 185,000 homes and jobs for many people in the long term future. And I also believe Australia needs all the help it can get right now.
Please don't let a small group of selfish people stop this project.

I support the wind farm as moving forward to using natural energy for the production of power. The wind farm will provide a boost to the Nundle and surrounding areas in providing many jobs in the construction and then ongoing maintenance. It also provides a passive income for the property owners to help in times of drought etc. The bonus of a yearly fund for the Nundle /Hanging Rock community opens up such expansive avenues for the welfare of Nundle and Hanging Rock residents. I do believe that it is a positive addition to the area and in no way detracts from the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere of the area. Visitors and tourists will still come to enjoy the Nundle/Hanging Rock surrounds.