Hills of Gold Wind Farm

LOCATION OF THE SITE
 The site for Engie’s Hills of Gold (HOG) Wind Farm remains a major objection to this development. This is not about the value of wind farms as a natural resource and alternative energy source, but about the considered choice of an appropriate
location to build a large industrial complex, such as this wind farm. This site iscompletely unacceptable on many levels.
 The site Engie have proposed:
- Sits on top of the ridgeline of the Liverpool Ranges – part of the Great Dividing Range, with elevations of 1100m - 1400m, and with a 230 wind tower installed, the overall height atop the Range will be over 1600+ m.
- Has a Development footprint sitting on the boundaries of the Crawney Pass National Park, the Ben Halls Gap Nature Reserve (BHGNR) as well as the Ben Halls Gap State Forest.
- Threatens the connectivity corridor for threatened species.
- Consists of steep slopes on the southern side (the Crawney and Timor Communities side) of the Development that reach over 50% gradient in sections and have a high risk of erosion and dispersion (land slides) which have recently occurred on the Crawney Pass Road, as testament.
- Will involve clearing of over 400ha of vegetation with significant ecological consequences.
- The required clearing that will severely impact 17 Plant communities; 2 State –Listed Threatened Ecological Communities; 2 Nationally-listed Critically Endangered Ecological Communities; 10 State –listed BAM (Biodiversity Assessment Method 2020) species credit species; 5 Nationally –listed threatened fauna; collision risk to Protected avifauna. - Is the source of 14 primary water courses, which are the life blood of the communities, who live in the area.
How Engie works the community with Sponsorships:
Engie gave $3000 for the RFS – via the Liverpool Range Rural Fire Service as part of these “Sponsorships”. Of concern is that the RFS is an important relevant Stakeholder due to its role in providing supposedly objective
critique of the assessment risk of bushfires within the Project area and responses to Engie’s mitigation measures.
 The RFS is established by an Act of Parliament and administration of the NSW RFS is part of the larger NSW Public Sector – as such this makes the RFS a Statutory Body. How can a NSW Statutory Body accept $3000 in June 2022, pending the release of a
Further Amendment Report for a major project, which the NSW Government (of which it is part) is preparing to make a determination of support or objection?

Please Open Word Document below.

To whom it may concern,
I do not support the Hills of Gold Widfarm projetct and would like to state the following of great concern:
Aerial Firefighting
Experienced Rural Fire Service volunteers are greatly concerned that aerial firefighting will be seriously compromised by the presence of wind turbines on the ridgeline idetified as the Hills of Gold area.

I know from my experiences of the fires near Nundle and when I have been in the Blue Mountains where the fire engulfed the area all around us and came as close as 5 kilometers to our house.
Also, my best friend moved to Bilpin shortly before the big fire season hit, when most of our state was buring. All of her property, her house, all the stables of the agistment property and the accommodation houses would have been destroyed if not for the help and management of the fire by the areal firefighters, so would have our house in Leura.

I know how important it is to have the fire-fighters use the airplanes and helicopters to fight the fires from above.
This is much more effective and safer and it keeps the fire fighters on the ground out of danger and works in remote areas.

When we are at our house in Nundle, we often swim at Sheba Dam at Hanging Rock in the summer.
This is where the firefighter helicopters and planes can refill their water if they fight fires in the State forests and National Parks around Nundle/Hanging Rock.

We were in Nundle when the big fires threatened in 2019/2020.

The fire brigade set up a main camp at the Nundle oval and coordinated everything from there.
The fire fighter planes did a lifesaving job and the fire was ultimately controlled and extinguished without loss of lifes and property.

If the windfarm goes ahead the firefighting helicopters and planes will not be able to fill-up in the Sheba Dams up at Hanging Rock in the hills above Nundle.
They will have to fly much further and fill up down in the valley. This will waste crucial time and fuel.

The most upsetting thing is that, if the windfarm gets approved, the planes won't be able to fly near the wind turbines.
It is dangerous and at the pilot's discretion. This means that Ben Halls Gap Nature Reserve and the Crawney Pass National Pass Biodiversity is not going to be effectively protected and in danger to be lost...

There are many more detrimental concerns that strongly speak against the Hills of Gold Windfarm: Access route, biodiversity, destruction of the beautiful Nundle township, just to name a few.

I strongly disagree with the Hills of Gold windfarm near Nundle!!

Nina

Please see attached Submission of Objection to the Amended DA.

Please find attached Hills of Gold Preservation Inc.’s OBJECTION to the Amendment Report No. SSD9679:

1. HOGPI Objection Cover Letter
2. HOGPI Submission in Objection to Amendment Report HOGWF No. SSD9679
After several attempts, the system was not allowing us to upload our Appendices, we have contacted Tatsiana Bandaruk and she has advised that we send these separately via her email address to be uploaded. These include:

1.0 - HOGPI Objection to HOGWF EIS (January 2021)
1.1 - HOGPI Review of Reponse to Submissions
2.0 Dr Rob Banks Soil Review of Hills of Gold Appendix N Soil and Water Addendum Report
3.0 BHG Sphagnum Moss Cool Temperate Rainforest Conservation Advice_EPBC Act
3.1 BHG Sphagnum Moss Cool Temperate Rainforest SPRAT Profile
4.0 Hills of Gold CCC Meeting Minutes (April 2022)
4.1 Hills of Gold CCC Meeting Minutes (October 2022)

I have read the amendments and can find no new information to change my view that this is a very poorly planned project. It will not resolve the issues relating to gas supply. Access roads to the project are still subject to Indigenous approval and this could still take years to resolve. The environmental gain of the wind farm will not outweigh the environmental destruction to the land created by the project. The thousand page document is poorly indexed and formatted and difficult to navigate. This project will not provide any of the benefits it promises. It will be a scar on the landscape that future generations will wonder why it was undertaken in the first place

See attached PDF file

See attached file.

I strongly object to this project. It is in the wrong location. The harm the project will do to the natural landscape, including native vegetation and tree clearing is significant. This will threaten wildlife and endangered species such as Koala's. The project will have a huge carbon footprint and does not benefit our community with only providing 5 local jobs long term. The project will completely change our lifestyle and why we choose to live in Nundle.
The traffic during the development phase is a huge issue for our family. Our property frontage is on Crawney Road and the amount of heavy and mass vehicles predicted on a daily basis we strongly object to passing by our property. We live in Nundle and raise our children here for the Country lifestyle and did not sign up for a project like this when we bought our house 14 years ago. Our children are 4th generation Nundle kids on both sides of our family. We have a long history and family heritage in this Village and it destroys us to think what the greed of a handful of people and an Internationally based Company (not even Australian owned) are doing to our Village. So much pain and heartache and division and this has been hanging over our lives for far too long. Our family use Crawney Road for exercise both on bicycle and foot and the kids regularly ride their bikes to their Grandparents down the road or into the Village to visit friends or go to the local park or Pool. This priviledge will be stripped for them as the safety concerns on Crawney Road would negate them being allowed to walk or bike along this road. I am horrified to think what life would be like trying to get in and out of our property and the Village to Tamworth and beyond for day to day living, highschool and worklife.
I strongly oppose the visual aspects of these Wind Turbines and the beacon lights that will be on top of them. Our property has a view of the ridgeline and living under those turbines would be a nightmare and quite depressing and disruptive of sleep and rest time at night.
A few years ago, we experienced one of the worst bushfires in the State Forest near Hanging Rock. It was terrifying and prolonged due to the location and how quickly it spread. As a community we were heavily dependant on large bush fire fighting aircraft dumping fire retardent over this area to help contain and eventually extinguish. Whilst the situation was dire, it could have been far worse and prolonged if this area could not have been accessed by these large fire fighting aircraft and being able to fly at low levels to complete this task. How will our Community and lives be saved in the future if this (and it will) happen again?
As a family, we are mortified that this project is still even being considered after our local Council has unanimously rejected the project TWICE, by two differing Council elects. Please stop this project and let our Village start to heal and move on.

Please open Attached Word Document below.

I am Totally Against this Intrusive Unreliable Devisive tech that has been Forced upon us without any consultation.

Unreliable Ineffective Environment and Community Destroying programs that will Not generate cheap electricity anyway.

BIODIVERSITY
- It is unacceptable to disturb 447 hectares of vegetation, including 46.2 ha of koala habitat. How Dare You. Koala are Endangered. Their range of movement is 10km for males. 5 km for females. You are Impacting an Endangered species. How Dare You. 447 hectares You will Understand Will be 85,484 Square kilometers of Impact from a Wind Farm in this area. Catchments Are Impacted by Wind Farms. Wind Farms. Proven.

- Removal of WTG 41 and minor movement of 19 WTGs does not remove the barrier effect to birds and bats returning to home roosts between the project area and Ben Halls Gap Nature Reserve. Ben Halls Gap region is a Forest. With Wildlife within it. If you Harm Greater Glider Habitat you Harm the Raptor species. Which you Already Harm with Wind Farms. Blades Move. Move. Move. Move. Move. Move. Move. Move. Slicing Birds including Rare Eagles now Listed are they. Out of Date is Legislation. Where no Protection is given to Wildlife. But everything is given to Foreign Investment. Disgraceful is government All. All.

Every department.

Every human working for government. Ie for Foreign Investment companies Harming Environment and Eagles and even Townsfolk. Townsfolk. Other people you Don’t care about. That’s on Your conscience. Yours. What do you think you are doing. To other peoples lives. Do you care about other people. No.

- Aerial firefighting around wind turbines remains seriously compromised, due to siting of infrastructure. Aka Wind Turbines. Skyscraper High. What are you doing to Country I name Prime Agricultural Land. I work On Country On Farmland and I Object to Renewables outright. They destroy communities. Aeroplanes serve our Farmers you Dumb Idiots. We use them to Fertilise our Land. Are you Stupid. Yes. Office Workers deciding who gets rights. How dare you Idiots decide how farmers manage land.

TRANSPORT

- No viable transport route to the project area due to steep topography, lifestyle properties, tourism, lack of landholder permissions, and undetermined Native Title Claim and Aboriginal Land Claim.

- Unacceptable impacts to residential and business areas of Nundle, Hanging Rock, Crawney and Timor.

- Volume of street and roadside tree and soil removal not transparent.

- Disruption to movement in and around Nundle, Hanging Rock, Crawney and Timor from construction of up to eight new bridges between the New England Highway and the project area, construction of a private road behind The Peel Inn, No Parking exclusion zones on left lanes of Oakenville and Jenkins St during blade deliveries, 311 additional daily vehicle movements (including 156 daily truck movements - 101 trucks through Hanging Rock village), and six daily Oversize Overmass vehicle movements for nine months.

VISUAL

- CASA requires two red steady lights for 28 turbines (56 obstacle lights total), polluting our dark night sky.

- Proponent does not provide photomontages of impact of cut and fill for wind farm infrastructure, reshaping the profile of the range.


CHARACTER
- Proponent does not acknowledge impacts of constructing or operating wind farm infrastructure to residences and businesses, And Recreation Areas in National Parks and Wilderness areas Under Threat from How Many Roads into New Areas for Highly Inefficient Wind Farms that live for 18 years maximum. Not 30. You liars. Liars. You Liars.

Liars.

I am Totally Against this Intrusive Unreliable Devisive tech that has been Forced upon us without any consultation.

Unreliable Ineffective Environment and Community Destroying programs that will Not generate cheap electricity anyway.

I am strongly opposed to the Hills of Gold Wind Farm.
Although I am not a local to the project area, I have traveled through the area for over 30 years and have enjoyed many weekends staying in the beautiful Nundle township.
No amount of amendment to this project will stop the destruction required to build this massive industrial development. The construction of renewable energy infrastructure is meant to mitigate the impact that current energy sources have on our planet. If we are serious about this, then industrial construction needs to take place on land already compromised by industrial and/or urban activity, or if necessary, on non-arable land that has little natural significance. Build these large-scale projects closer to where the resources required for their construction exist and where infrastructure to carry their power already exists. Leave pristine natural environments alone. Leave agricultural land (land zoned Primary Production) alone. Leave rural and regional communities alone. The construction of these industrial scale projects compromises: soil stability, water run-off, the ability to fight fires, natural habitats, local flora and fauna, transportation routes, town beautification and social cohesion.
During the construction phase, the ability for local businesses to do their business is massively compromised. Town parking is reduced, freight for normal business activity will take more time and with so much traffic and expected delays. I certainly won’t be travelling to Nundle (should the project advance) while the construction phase is taking place. I expect many other tourists will be put off too. I will dearly miss the Easter Go for Gold Festival and the Great Nundle Dog Races.
State Government should be looking at planning rural and regional renewable energy micro-hubs. Small scale renewable energy power supply, customised to locality, to take rural and regional towns off the ‘grid’. Removing the need to build massive new transmission lines. Urban suburbs could also make use of the micro-hub principle. This would reduce the need for major infrastructure development by overseas developers with no guarantee of cheaper power for the people of NSW and would be infinitely better for the planet we are trying to save.
I fear that social cohesion is greatly overlooked in the face of these massive developments. It was evident when we traveled to The Dag Sheep Station, Crawney Rd, Nundle, in April 2022, for a beautiful wedding, that the town was divided in their ideals. There were many signs and banners posted around the town in both public and private spaces, supporting and opposing the project. No town should be forced into this divisive position by their elected government.

Hills of Gold Under Threat from Australian Government giving rights to Big Dollar over and above Their Community named Australians. Impacted by Threat of Renewables On Their Country. On Their Farmland. In Their Towns.

Walcha Will be Impacted by Infrasound from Every Turbine that is Within 22km of a Town. Of a Town. As will the southern residential areas of Uralla. How Dare You , Australian Government. You Lie and Lie and Lie and Get our Communities facing Illness and Harm and Loss Is Here in Every Renewable project you Hideously offer Your People. Who have No Rights while Foreign Investment gets them All. Which Names will I write down. Tatsiana I have. Plus Adam Marshall. Bowen. Idiot. What a Idiot. A Complete Idiot. Plus Albanese. Crooked these people are. Hiding away from Walcha Community Ahh. Not Fair is it. Note 2019. That’s Prior to THE Worst Ever Dry Drought Ever in the Entire History of a Land named Australia. Led to Koala being Listed as Endangered. Do the proposal again. Its Irrelevant. It is Irrelevant.

Better still, Build NSW two coal power stations. Job Done. I Object to Any Renewable project On Country On Farmland In Wilderness I DO. I Object to Hills of Gold Wind Farm I DO. Ben Halls Gap is a Precious Sacred Site.

https://stopthesethings.com/2022/12/01/busting-the-big-lie-vestas-ceo-admits-wind-power-aint-cheap-never-will-be/

https://stopthesethings.com/2022/12/01/busting-the-big-lie-vestas-ceo-admits-wind-power-aint-cheap-never-will-be/#:~:text=Far%20Out%3A%20German%20Study%20Finds%20Pulsing%20Wind%20Farm%20Infrasound%2020%20Kilometres%20From%20Turbines


World Heritage status is the highest level of recognition afforded an area. The Gondwana Rainforests area in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is the Last Remaining Remnant on the Plateau of NSW. Down to 8.1 % of its Original 100 % on the plateaus of NSW. Wind Farms Harm Cloud which alters Rainfall.

The Risk of Contamination from identified potential impacts for a project predicted to be in operation for, let's say, a projected 18 years. That will be it. Not a 30 year proposal you see. You Lie Always , Government. Government. You Lie. You Lie. You Lie. Always. For who. Which People. Wealthy people ? Oh of Course. How Dare You Lie, Always, about Renewables. Renewables. Lies are You, Always offering Disgusting projects that Harm Our Forests, You Know we Need Set Aside Forever For the Rare Threatened Endangered Brink of Extinction species You Forget you see. It's Time Government Ceased outright. And All in Government facing an Enquiry. Oh Yes. An Equiry. You are Abominable, Government. And you Need to be Investigated. Harm and Loss issues. Our Wildlife will face Extinction under Renewables Agenda. Ban Every Project named Renewable Energy Projects Now. Use Our Coal for Australian Power From Now. Cease the Cost, you see you see you see. A Cost Almighty You are giving to the World of Life, and the People who will Pay Highly for Your Inconsiderate decision making process. Dealing with who. Wealthy ahh. You need an Enquiry, Government. You have No Right to take away a Forest for a Foreign energy project, that is Not Able to be paid for you see. You have Cost Our Poor Country its Wild Life, And the Community you are Never offering Any kind of Care toward.

It's Time you are going Down into an Enquiry. Deals can be Seen you see. Paperwork you see. Deals on Paper. All for us to View. And Cease and Desist Your Harm and Loss method You Destroy Our Wild Life. Ours. Ours. Ours. You must Cease and Desist Now, Government. You are Watched and Seen. Watched and Seen. Lies cover up Despicable Deals Named personnel in Government make with Hideous Money Making rich. The rich. The Wealthy. The Hideous Greedy Wealthy. Who have No Care for Country Or All on Country.

If you continue projecting Lies you will need to Prove how you Project time frames. And understand Wind Turbines get Damaged On Country On Farmland In Wilderness. Damaged. They are Fire Risks. You Know that. We Know that. Yet you take down Trees for what. Inappropriate Inefficient Unable High Cost, Plus Massive Footprint things that are Unable to Compost, and Interfere with Auditory Hearing and Endocrine System. Eg. Sleeplessness isn't a nice way to live when you live in a town within Infrasound Range of a Wind Farm. Yet you Allow these Hideous companies access into Farmland adjacent to towns. To Forests. To Paddocks. Cattle listen to a Sound continually you see. Can't escape can they. Fenced in, ahh.

Research says Infrasound is now "heard" up to 22 km away from Source. Ie Wind Turbines. How Dare You Allow Wind Turbines in a Land named Australia. How Dare You allow them in a Land named Australia. Get Off Our Country Now, You Hideous personnel in Department of Planning and Environment. You are Not capable of Caring for Country, or humans within 22 km of Wind Turbines. Or the Wildlife near these areas that will be Unable to be there during construction of a Industrial Site project. How Dare You even think you can set up Industrial Sites upon High Altitude High Altitude High Altitude Forests. Forests. This area has 18 Brink of Extinction species In it. This area. Timor. Nundle. Hanging Rock. Crawney. Eg. Koala. If Fires erupt in this area you will be Responsible. Responsible. Responsible. You will burn out Vital Nundle region High Altitude EEC's. Do you know what they are. Do you ? I don't think so. They're called Ecologically Endangered Communities. You don't know what they are do you. Get Off this Land I know quite well. I walked here as a child you see. I drew a picture of a Rare species 40 years ago. Yes. 40 years ago. I feel they're gone. Gone. Or are they. Let's ask you. How many Greater Gliders are in the Nundle Forests. Let me see. Four ? Twenty ? How many ? Tell me. How many. You Must Get Out of a Office and Walk My Land. Vital Upper Tributary Catchments region from QLD tip to the Tassie mountain range that is the Western Southern Wild area that will go off to heaven when Wind Farms enter anywhere near an Island called Tasmania. How Dare You Mine Her. For Wealthy humans. You Must Get Out of My Country. My Country.

Greater Glider face Extinction. Extinction. They are in these Forests around Nundle. Renewables Harm the Weather. Proven Already you see. They Impact Moisture in Cloud. Yes they Do. You don't know that. You don't even know Clouds are Vital for a Dry Continent. I don't think you know how Vital Clouds are. I'm certain you don't. I know how Treat this Land. With Contempt. With Chemicals. With Excess Extraction methods making Massive Footprint Renewables. Who's making them. Ahh. China. Germany. Europe. US. Who ?

Get Off My Nation. Now. You lot. You. Yes You. A Government employee that is You. You. Names can be found. And I can find your name if I google Department of Planning and Environment. And Hold you Responsible for allowing Foreign Investment companies to Take Over Our Country to make Their money you get Us to Pay for. You Do Need an Enquiry oh Yes you Do. And it's Time you Did get Investigated.

Cease and Desist Hills of Gold Wind Farm. Immediately. And Update an Outdated Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

1999. Really. Koala are now Listed as Endangered. Do you understand. Don't think so. Projects Continue Without a Care for Koala. A Significant State Species. In a Significant State Forested area. Understand Significant Now means Essential for the Preservation of Threatened Rare Endangered Brink of Extinction species. All species of Australian Wildlife are now Listed you see. The Eucalypt is a Ecologically Endangered species. Wind Farms Threaten Catchments. Catchments. These are how we receive Water. Do you understand. I don't think so. I don't think you feel a thing for Koala. Or Greater Glider. Living in Nundle Forests. Rare, Brink of Extinction species they are. They are. Get Out of Here.

Get Out of Australia. Do your Dealing Elsewhere. How about Mars. Mars. You will Create it on Planet with Renewables. They're Proven to Impact Weather. Oh Yes. Weather. Who gets to Choose which amount of information gets to the public. Ignorant like government. Ignorant. Completely Ignorant. Don't you Care for Koala. They need Forests. Eucalypt Forests. They Need them All. What's here Now. Now. Now. Go onto Mars and see how you can Change a view Immediately. If these Vital Forests burn, you will be Entirely Responsible. Court it will be. It's Time Government faced their Crimes against Wildlife. Wind Farms Harm these State Significant regions :

Hunter Valley. It's Lost its Forests. It Was a Wetland.

Nundle. The Forests here Fed the Namoi Hastings into Macleay into Peel Catchments. All. From the Highest Altitude areas in Tamworth Nowendoc region. You don't Understand the Northern Tablelands. They Water the Entire Eastern Seaboard of the Vast region of NSW. A Vast region that enters the Floodplains going Down and Down and Down under Pathetic gov.au Murray Darling Basin Plan. All You do is Harm and Loss to Environment. Time it Ceased. Time You were Investigated. All Paid employees. Dealing. Killing. Harming. Creating Loss. Damaging. Clearing. Draining. Altering. Excess Extracting an Alive Continent. A Dry Continent. Drier Now than 1948. In 1948, Government changed. And That is the Time Frame of a Government Investigation termed an Enquiry. All on Government will be Investigated. Have to be. Need to be. Dept Planning and Environment are Selling Country Not Theirs. Hmmmmm.

I Protest this proposal.

Hills of Gold Wind Farm. I Object Outright to it. I Demand Australia becomes a Coal powered Nation. Less Harm and Loss you see. It will mean gov will need to Release reliance on China. And How Dare the Australian Government deal with a Dictator. For Gods Sake.

I Object to Hills of Gold Wind Farm Outright. Outright. I Object to Renewables On Country On Farmland In Wilderness, Outright. Outright.

Signed

Care To The All Inc.

Care To The All Inc. is a Care for Country

Olivia Skye Sylvester
Wombramurra Station
504 Head of Peel Road
Nundle NSW 2340

Hills of Gold Wind Farm
Application SSD-9679


I live at Wombramurra Station on the Head of Peel Road and the Proposed Hills of Gold Wind Farm will surround my family property and home. There are several issues I raised in my original submission that I feel have not been adequately addressed. The amended DA will affect our family farming operation in many ways including significant increase in traffic movements on Crawney Road and the proposed use by oversize overmass vehicles will affect our access to Nundle and Tamworth which are the two towns we use to obtain supplies and equipment for our business and all livestock we sell are transported via Crawney Road. The increased traffic will also mean increase safety concerns and as all people who work for our business need to travel on Crawney Road and I am concerned for our employees and contractors.
The amendments to turbine positioning also concerns me as moved turbines are in very close proximity of Ben Halls Gap Nature Reserve and the removal of Turbine 41 as stated in the Amendment Documents Biodiversity section was done to allow the other turbines to be moved so they are greater than 400m apart. The proponent also states if the project is approved, they are allowed to make adjustments so may be able to move turbine back to the original location. Having turbines so close to such a significant environmental asset is totally wrong and they should not be allowed to be constructed. There is a large amount of inaccurate and misleading information presented in the amended DA and for all these reasons I object to the Hills of Gold Project and feel the DPE should not recommend the project be approved.

The basis for my objection is that the total life span of the wind turbines needs to be taken into account. They require huge quantities of concrete and steel, both made with coal, and rare earth minerals mined in hugely polluting ways.
Although called by a ‘positive’ name – RENEWABLES! They are anything but. When spinning (when the wind blows and if it doesn’t blow to much) yes, they don’t generate emissions. But the mining and manufacture must be considered. The transportation of the concrete bases, steel towers, carbon fire blades need to be taken into account. Or is that considered to be OKAY as the pollution is generated overseas.
Then there is the damage here at Nundle. Land cleared and roads built to provide access. Habitat of our local fauna put under threat. Birds (especially the raptors) killed. Not to mention the aesthetics and the problems due to harmonics.
The there is the lifespan of 20-25 years and they are not RECYCLABLE! So off to landfill where dangerous chemicals are leached into the soil.
The only people winning from this are wealthy people who have invested in this form of power. Plus the Chinese and other overseas countries who manufacture the turbines.
What part of this can be considered environmentally friendly. So yes they will generate jobs – overseas! And as for being a tourist attraction, once you’ve seen one wind turbine you have seen them all.
Why are we allowing out land to be permanently scarred to fill the pockets of some millionaires. Farmers would not be allowed to clear land on this scale.

To whom it may concern,

My name is Dimitri Vlasoff and I live in Hanging Rock. I object to the proposal of the Hills of Gold Wind Farm.

I live near the end of Shearers Road in Hanging Rock and will be heavily impacted by the approval of this so-called green project.
The placement of the turbines will put me in direct harm as there has not been enough clearance allowed via the only road to and from home.
My occupation allows me to work from home and so I travel daily from Hanging Rock to Nundle and spend the day at my Grandmother's residence on Jenkins Street in Nundle. This is both due to internet coverage in the area but mostly as a carer.
I also drive to Nundle and back twice per day on weekends, taking my niece to and from work at the local Gold Mine Café. The disruption that this project will cause to myself and my family is extreme and has not been effectively taken into consideration.
The roads along Shearers and Morrisons gap are less than ideal, add in some fog and a trip to Nundle can take from 25mins on a good day to 45mins, especially if there are branches/trees requiring clearing off the road.
If a one-way trip can take up to 45mins simply due to fog, what can I expect a simple drive to take if construction commences; 1hr? 2? 3?
There has not been sufficient forethought or planning placed into how the construction of a wind farm will affect the residents that constantly use a road with no other route available.

The proposal, which has been rejected previously by Tamworth Council and undergone several amendments, does not propose a viable, long-term 'green' solution that will outweigh the harm that it will cause.
Everything proposed by Engie has not had any valid foresight, nor has the Engie information hub in Nundle been able to supply or even verbally answer any queries asked by myself or my family, who also live in Hanging Rock and will also be affected.
The Engie proposal, their website and the laughable ‘Information hub’ do not provide any clear advice or logical and realistic processes on the project, from its commencement to completion.

From the outset of this proposal, Engie have trespassed on my property and used photographs taken from my land and used them in their promotional material. There has been no direct contact from Engie since leaving a flyer in my front gate several years ago now, yet I have heard from Neighbours that they are advising others I have given them my blessing and do not object.
I most certainly do object!

Engie’s claims to have consulted with local residents is false as they have not been in touch with each person that it will heavily impact.

Not only has this approval process been quite frustrating and lengthy, but it has caused a divide between the local residents.
Aside from the damage the pre-construction will cause (of which there has yet to be a definitive scope on process), the process during construction will be much worse and has the potential to lead to erosion and degradation of the existing landscape, taking into account both flora and fauna.
The fact that amendments are needing to constantly be made by Engie to their proposal, shows that there have been no definitive studies completed, nor a viable process of how the entirety of the project will be carried out, up to its entire life.
With new proposals being made including changing roads within Nundle and removing existing parking (of which there is very little already, especially during weekends), is a testament to the lack of insight and proper local consultation carried out by Engie.
If this project was able to be completed and was an actual benefit to the area, there would not have to be so many different changes required to the proposal that constantly amend existing processes or make up entirely new processes.
The construction of a new road within Nundle just to allow trucks access does not make any sense. Would council allow the construction of something that would actually take away from what is natural and has been for many a year?
If a green project is to ensure sustainability of and decrease further pollution to the environment, the proposal process to create new roads whilst removing local flora indicates this project is against sustainability.

There are currently logging trucks from the State Forest that have been causing damage to the roads and in effect, damage to my car as a result, and based on their weight compared to the weight of the trucks required for the turbines and blades, the roads will require constant maintenance and upgrading. There has not been adequate allowance for the works actually required just to get the materials to their proposed locations, let alone the actual construction phase.

If the project was safe, sound, environmentally friendly, clear, and precise in its process, there would not be a requirement for the ridiculous amount of amendments made nor would there be as much local support to NOT approve the proposal of a wind farm.

As per my attached submission.

I was born and raised in Nundle, NSW and am extremely proud of this area, I abject to the proposed wind farm as it is the WRONG place for it!!!

ROAD

Having lived in the Timor area for 30 years, the Timor, Waverley and Crawney roads are in appalling condition. This is due to the arrival of B-double cattle trucks and Stoneco quarry trucks and not purely from the recent wet weather.

The family property have eight kilometres of road frontage on the Timor road and any additional traffic would severely impact our livestock movements when using the Timor road.

Due to a fatality on the New England highway south of Blandford on 5 November 2022, the highway traffic was diverted via the Timor and Waverley roads for 11 hours. These roads did not cope at all with significant volume of extra traffic.

Engie amended traffic plan to travel the Timor, Waverley and Crawney roads will NOT work.

BIODIVERSITY

It is very distressing to hear that 447 hectares of vegetation would be disturbed including 46 hectares of koala habitat. We can't lose any more koalas or other species who live there.

AERIAL FIREFIGHTING

Over the decades there have been a number of fires on Crawney mountain.

Due to the location, aerial firefighting provides the quickest way of eliminating and/or controlling the fires.

Aerial firefighting will be eliminated with wind turbines in existence and will cause great concern to locals and firefighters.

I absolutely OBJECT to the Engie Hills of Gold Wind Farm Application (SSD - 9679) as it is in the wrong place and many more problems would be created if the application was to proceed.

After close reading of the new proposal for the Hills of Gold Wind Farm, it can be clearly seen they have not addressed adequately the issues I previously stated. They however have introduced new implications that will damage the Nundle community and environment.

Some of these issues include:

-The unique character of Nundle will be damaged with the addition of the road below the Peel Inn & the river, as the project will require road modifications to allow for the towers to be transported in. Thus, ruining the visual entrance of entering Nundle which is a massive part of Nundle's tourism attraction.
-Significant environment damage from the earthworks up above Hanging Rock on properties that has been conducted to allow access to the range where the towers will be placed. Destroying some of Australia’s most pristine ecosystems.
- Lack of information & planning of construction roads and other infrastructure that will have serious and long-term effects on Nundle’s pristine environment.
- There is no viable access route in my opinion for this project that doesn’t have a significant impact on the environment & community of Nundle.

Therefore, I object to the Hills of Gold Wind Farm, due to its significant impact on the environment and community.