Hills of Gold Wind Farm

All my previous objections to the original EIS remain applicable to this Amendment Report.
This project is akin to building 64 structures the size of the tallest buildings in Sydney next to the Three Sisters at Katoomba. You are destroying a pristine site on the Great Dividing Range overlooking the Timor Valley. This stunning landscape should be preserved for the enjoyment of future generations. This wind farm will destroy the environment we are trying to save.
The 64 wind farms, each 230 m high, will have 56 red lights on top of the Great Dividing Range which will operate 24/7, creating a city nightscape in the middle of two national parks, Crawney Pass and the Ben Halls Gap Nature Reserve.
The application seeks to be able to relocate any, and all turbines up to a 100m radius. If approved, the turbines can be moved closer together, closer to boundaries of National parks and closer to threatened ecosystems.
The roads approaching the proposed site, especially from the south, are not suitable for over sized/over mass vehicles. There is no engineering report or environmental impact cost on approaching the ridgeline from the steep sloping, vulnerable terrain to the south. There will be a sizable impact on all communities along the Timor/Crawney/Gundy roads as it is a quicker route to the construction sites for vehicles and trucks. No residents along these roads have been consulted. The road surfaces along these mostly unsealed roads are in poor condition with many one lane only bridges and narrow winding sections. They are unsuitable for heavy traffic and large trucks.
The project consists of 23km of 230 m high wind turbines. How will birds and bats know where to pick the gaps. Eagles are a feature around here. They are the top of the food chain, and their presence is the sign of a healthy environment, but they will be decimated by the wind turbines.
I am concerned by the amount of soil disturbance on the top of the range that will be required to build each turbine and the associated infrastructure. The soils on the ridgeline and surrounding areas have been classified by soil scientists as highly erodible and dispersive. They are classified as Class 7/8 which is defined as extremely low capability land incapable of sustaining any land use apart from nature conservation. There should be no disturbance of native vegetation. Class 8 includes slopes greater than 50% gradient which is typical of the top of the Range. These soil types will readily erode where they are disturbed or exposed. Land slips on the steeper slopes of the ridgeline are common. We are told each turbine sits on a 25m diameter concrete pad with a 3 to 5 m deep concrete foundation. I doubt something 230m high in a high wind area on top of the Great Dividing Range only needs a 3-5m deep foundation. Engie says it has not yet done geotechnical surveys to determine the type of foundation needed to support the turbines, but it is clear from the steepness and gradients along the ridgeline that they will have to effectively cut off the top of the ridge to provide the flat areas and depth needed for the foundations and other infrastructure. What happens to all this soil and what is the impact when these unstable soils are disturbed and exposed to rain, which is heavy along the top of the Range? At least 13 turbines are sited in the catchment of the Isis and Barnard Rivers. The Pages and Perry's Creeks are tributaries feeding the Isis River, on which we rely for our water. The impacts of the construction of the wind farm on these creeks have not even been mentioned or assessed in any of Engie's reports. What is the potential impact on the Isis River of soil run off and sedimentation caused by the massive soil disturbance required to build the wind farm? Even now, when it rains, you can see the very brown water of Perry's Creek where it joins the clear water of the Isis River, turning the Isis into a very muddy stream. This is a result of the clearing done up at the wind farm site to date, but it will be much worse following the massive soil disturbance required to build the wind farm.
The proposed site is in a bushfire prone area. The bushfires are hard to fight because of the steep terrain. The wind turbines can start fires and seriously compromise aerial firefighting. Fuels and oils kept on site at the wind farm are another risk. Transmission lines also cause bushfires. The asset owner of the transmission lines is responsible for reducing the fuel load beneath the transmission lines to a width of 90m. Who will own the transmission lines, and can they afford to carry out this responsibility?
Wind farms only last 10 to 15 years. Who will be responsible for decommissioning this one? How much will it cost and where will the money come from? Will any money be put aside from the wind farm revenues to finance the decommissioning? Engie says it will only remove 50cm of the concrete foundations. It is up to the landowner to remove the rest of the concrete and to restore the land to its original state. No rehabilitation to its former tall-forested environment could ever occur with a tree root depth of less than 50cm. Erosion will remain a huge issue for the steep sloping land into the Timor/Isis River Valley.
Finally, Engie claims this project is in line with the New England Renewable Energy Zone, but the site is not part of that region.

I am opposed to the HOG Wind farm as a resident of Crawney Station.

As a landowner in the area, I am opposed to the HOG Wind farm project.

After reading the amended documents for the hills of gold wind farm my strong view remains that this project should be emphatically rejected .

Nundle, Hanging Rock and surrounds is no place for a massive industrial development such as that proposed by the French company Engie.

Let it be clear that this part of Northwest NSW brings many people from all over the nation and world to experience a sense of deep country and a connection to a special landscape and locality . A place worth saving for generations to come .

My fellow Nundle residents, and in particular, the community group opposed to the proposed have done much work and sacrificed much of their busy daily existences to bring out into the open many distasteful aspects of the idea that a wind farm , wind park, wind energy facility , industrial power generation complex could be situated in a heritage and naturally rich place where cultural and social cohesion was strong and healthy .

You will read many submissions I’m sure outlining transport issues, the ecological consequences of the ground works, infrastructure and technical require at to transport and build the facilities required by such a project . Plus, the social upheaval this type of project would have on this award winning town .

I hereby urge you to consider and reject this proposal outright and let the people of Nundle heal , grieve and move onto more fertile pursuits and sustainable worthwhile developments in the area. There are many good people here with Nundle at heart, but I’m sure those would be lost if the proposal was approved .

Resident , Nundle .
Business owner Nundle.

I am totally opposed to the proposed Hills of Gold Windfarm. I live on a small farm 1km from the centre of Nundle, on Oakenville Creek Road. The intersection where I turn into our road from Oakenville Street is one of the proposed routes for the over-mass vehicles. Major works will need to be undertaken at this intersection making this an unsafe corner. We regularly walk along this road, including with my 4 year old daughter to pre-school and will no longer be able to do this safely. The quiet country road where we previously interacted closely with nature will be changed forever.
I also travel up to Hanging Rock 3-4 times per week with my daughter for a walk and to enjoy the view. Such a rare environment needs to be protected at all costs.
I feel that disturbing the foundation of the hills will affect water run-off and quality of the water. This is a major issue given this is the head of the water catchment which serves a large area including the major regional centre of Tamworth.
Most of all, I like the hills how they are.

I object to the Hills of Gold Wind Farm and have outlined my reasons in the attachment below.

I write to object to the Hills of Gold Windfarm project. It is my opinion that the town and community of Nundle, and surrounding affected rural areas (Hanging Rock, Crawney and Timor) will be severely negatively impacted by this development. My research as a qualified conservation biologist into the ecological impacts of the windfarm has led me to believe that there has been insufficient acknowledgement of the ecosystem and biodiversity devastation that will occur. There is poor transparency to the local community of the reality of the destruction required to construct this project and the level of damage that will be inflicted upon endangered and vulnerable native flora and fauna populations, and the habitats they rely on to survive. For these reasons and many more, I strongly object to the Hills of Gold windfarm project. Thank you.

I oppose this project. Please find my submission attached

I object to the Hills of Gold wind turbine project. Please see attached objection.

Ref: Hills of Gold Wind Farm Amended Application (SSD – 9679)


Pamela Eagles
UNIT 1 29 MI MI STREET
OATLEY, New South Wales, 2223


I object to the Engie Hills of Gold Wind Farm application. I wish to note that all of my previous objections to the original EIS remain current and applicable to this Amendment Report, November 2022.

I acknowledge and accept the NSW Department of Planning and Environment’s disclaimer and declaration.

Objections are as follow.
KOALA HABITAT

• It is unfathomable that we are even considering Engie’s Project that knowingly will destroy koala habitat. Tamworth Regional Landcare is creating 45 ha of new koala habitat in Gunnedah, meanwhile Engie’s HOG Wind Farm will be clearing 46.2 ha of Koala habitat as part of this project.

• Koalas are now an officially endangered species. NSW Government states that if we don’t stop clearing their habitat the koala is at high risk of extinction by 2050.

• The Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES) in their Significant Impact Assessment on Engie’s project amendment in Jan 2022 stated, that for the vulnerable Koala “…the proposed works have the potential for a significant impact on the species, due to the removal of greater than 20 hectares of habitat… The removal of 36.44 hectares of native vegetation…has the potential to impact the species due to the removal of habitat available to the local population”. So here will are 10 months later and with an even larger clearing of koala habitat of 46.2 ha (10 hectares more!) – I hope and trust that MNES will reject this unacceptable project outright.

• NSW Government has set the ambitious goal of doubling koala numbers in NSW by 2050, which is the year, if actions are not undertaken it is feared koalas could be extinct in NSW.


• The NSW Government needs to uphold its stated Pillars for its NSW Koala Strategy, most relevantly, Pillar 1 Koala Habitat Conservation.

• This NSW Koala Strategy boasts it is the biggest commitment by any government to secure koalas in the wild. It is supporting a range of conservation actions that will provide more habitat for koalas, support local community action, improve koala safety and health and build our knowledge to improve koala conservation.

• Of the range of threats the NSW Government notes, all of them apply to the koalas in the Project area for the HOG Wind Farm – habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation, climate change, disease, declining genetic diversity, vehicle strike, bushfire and dog attack.


Required action:

• Call on the MNES to reject this unacceptable project outright, given its significant threat to koalas.

This is the time to put words into action – call on the NSW Government to reject the HOG Wind Farm, which will put at serious and irreversible threat, 46.2 ha of koala habitat and is in opposition to their own NSW Koala Strategy

Ref: Hills of Gold Wind Farm Amended Application (SSD – 9679)


Chris and Maureen Eagles
CJ and MC Eagles partnership
ABN: 79984079429
PIC: NF 521 587
“Alston” 1339 Timor Crawney Road
TIMOR, NSW 2338

CJ and MC Eagles Partnership Object to the Engie Hills of Gold Wind Farm application.

We wish to note that all of my previous objections to the original EIS remain current and applicable to this Amendment Report, November 2022.

We acknowledge and accept the NSW Department of Planning and Environment’s disclaimer and declaration.

Objections are as follow.
CJ and MC Eagles Business partnership continue to object to the proposed Hills of Gold Wind Farm (HOG Farm).

This proposal could well have substantive impacts on our Cattle and Mixed Farming business at “Alston” here in the Upper Hunter, however, the failure of the proponents to provide any certainty about their proposal, means we are still in no better position after four years of iterations to assess the impacts on our business.

And there is a very simple reason the proponents haven’t been able to finalise their plans, it is because the location is totally unsuited to a development of this breadth and scale. Instead Engie obfuscate in the hope that somehow the NSW Government and the public will think that this is a good thing. Its not a good thing, it is a disaster both for the Environment and the Local Communities.

An excellent example of the obfuscation is Engie’s failure to crystallise the detail of their proposal is the new Access Route, a key component of this Amended DA, opened for Public Submission. After multiple access iterations over the years, access paths that have all proved to not be feasible, we are once again being asked to provide comment on three Access options that are not even finalised. These options are just as likely to prove unfeasible. What a waste of everyone’s time.

Looking at the Access options:
• Engie have proposed three options, yet Option B has already been discounted by the Local Land Services (LLS) which has already said Option B is not recommended because this would be a second road, through the TSR, which contravenes the Section 75 of the LLS Act.
• So why is Option B even in this report? Obfuscation of course.
• All three Options are either on Crown Land Reserves, reserved for Travelling Stock Routes OR are subject to the Gomeroi Native Claim Title Claim and an Aboriginal Land Claim, both currently undetermined. The land is zoned Environmental Conservation under the Tamworth Local Environment Plan (LEP). Native Claims on Crown Roads have been progressing for many many years without resolution.
• With none of these accesses approved, why are we wasting our Time – once again?

With incomplete reports and insufficient details on
• Traffic
• Bushfire
• Aviation
• Soils and Water
• Real Estate Values
• Noise and Vibration
• Visuals
• Decommissioning
all of which have the potential to have substantive impacts to our business, we remain unable to make informed comment on this proposal.

We reiterate, the Great Dividing Range and a poorly serviced Rural area such as the Upper Hunter, is a totally unsuitable area for such a Large Scale Industrial Development.

If this proposal was one of our animals, in such a disorganised state, we would do the humane thing, and put it out of its misery!!


Required action:
• Engie to end the Obfuscation, which is becoming just embarrassing, continuing to demonstrate their inability to finalise details of this inappropriately located development. Engie should kill this Project, to prevent any further damage to their brand and reputation.

• The NSW Government to make the responsible decision for our Environment and our Communities, and reject Engie’s Hills of Gold wind farm proposal. The Community, the Endangered and critically Endangered flora and fauna, and indeed our Business, deserve better.

I wish to make an bjection

See Attached

I object to this proposal as it will severely affect our Agricultural enterprise. We are very dependant on groundwater supplies and cannot see where the proponents have studied and reported on their effect on these. We also object on the many grounds detailed in our attachment.

I object to the above proposal on the many grounds stated in my attachment.
This proposal will destroy the environment on this part of the Great Dividing Range and seriously affect the livelihood and quality of life of everyone in this area.

Attached file

I object to this project on the following basis:
- LOCATION OF THE SITE - development footprint sits on the boundary of a number of national parks
- LOCATION OF THE SITE - impedes on the natural habitat corridor for threatened species between these national parks
- LOCATION OF THE SITE - requires clearing of 447 ha of vegetation with huge ecological consequences
- LAND CLEARING - threatens multiple plant and animal species listed as "threatened" or "critically endangered"
- KOALA HABITAT - project will destroy koala habitat, which are now officially an endangered species. You should be supporting koala conservation projects NOT habitat destruction projects.

It is unacceptable for ANY project to be approved that threatens ecological species or has such a negative environmental impact, such as this project.

Please strongly consider this objection and reject this project.

Refer to my attached letter of objection to the project

I strongly object to this project.

I frequently visit family in the region and am appalled that the government would select this specific location for a major construction project - knowing that this requires a large area of land to be cleared (over 400 ha of vegetation) and threatens habitat loss.

I find it insulting that this project aligns to the objective of 'helping the environment' via the development of alternative energy sources - BUT is instead doing the exact opposite - by contributing to land clearing and habitat loss, which has equally negative / potentially irreversible impacts on the delicate ecosystem which we live in.

I am appalled the government would consider a proposal that continues these destructive and frankly short-term approaches to land management and I ask that you reject this project so we can preserve our few natural spaces that we still have in NSW.

My main objections to this proposal are based on the following facts that have not been addressed in the revised submission:
- it will destroy the natural habitats for koalas in the region (which are now an officially endangered species, so this will compound the problem even more).
- the location threatens the connective corridor for threatened species along KNOWN conservation corridors
- this project requires a large area of land to be cleared (over 400 ha of vegetation)

Please do the right thing for our future generation and reject this project so that we can preserve what little natural vegetation and habitats that we have left.

I object to this project and the new amendments.
The ongoing saga of the transport route, the roads, the traffic, the soil degradation on the range and wildlife. Nothing has changed with the amendment. The new transport route is as bad if not worst than the first one. There are still destruction of the nature and surrounding environment to Nundle and Hanging Rock.
This proposal and the process has been going on for far too long. My concern is the division of the community, it has affected Nundle and Hanging Rock town and families. This needs to stop.