MOD 1 - Turbine and infrastructure changes

I strongly object to the modifications. Please see the attached objection letter.

I support the Liverpool range wind farm

I support the liver pool range wind farm

The modification to the project makes the foot print smaller and environmentally better
The positives out way the negatives with this project with land holders and the community’s benefiting enormously
I support this project whole heartedly

Submission requirements
https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/mod-1-turbine- and-infrastructure-changes -
Cover letter to Objection submission Project Details
Application Number
SSD-6696-Mod-1
Main Project
SSD-6696
Assessment Type
SSD Modifications
Development Type
Electricity Generation - Wind
Local Government Areas
Mid-Western Regional, Upper Hunter Shire, Warrumbungle Shire
Exhibition Start-End Date
20/09/2022 - 17/10/2022
I want my personal details to be withheld from publication
By
Eleanor Cook 1348 Coolah Creek Road M: 0468 727111 E:[email protected]
• the reasons why you object to the proposal
Page 1 of 9

Objection to MOD - : Liverpool Range Wind Farm
Project Details
Application Number
SSD-6696-Mod-1
Main Project
SSD-6696
Assessment Type
SSD Modifications
Development Type
Electricity Generation - Wind
Local Government Areas
Mid-Western Regional, Upper Hunter Shire, Warrumbungle Shire
Issues
1. Amenity
1:1 Coolah region scenic value loss
1.1.1 No recognised value of the visual scenic value for our region
1.1.2 Increased Loss of Visual scenic value with increased turbine height
1.1.3 Community has had No opportunity to declare ‘No Go Zones’.
1.1.4 Loss of attracting the target travellers who seek to experience 80%
natural environment, isolation and connect to nature.
1.1.5 No Go. Area should be the scenic route towards the Coolah Tops
National Park.
1.1.6 Removed proposed turbines Turbine Zone A and B (especially Turbines
close to road views B1, B2, B3 and B4 and those impacting the vista
from the Coolah Tops National Park.
1.1.7 Ugly giant Steel Electricity Towers needed across our hilltops and farms
to carry the power to the coast.
1:2 Residents impacts
1.2.1 As an associated land holder does not mean or diminish the impacts on quality of life and loss of amenity to the resident. The fees paid for the land use should be separate to a compensation and mitigation strategies applied as an impacted resident with in a 2 Km radius for losses habitat, visual amenity and noise.
1.2.2 Homes within in two kilometre radius of the government prescribed safe zones was recommended at the old height and size of turbine 150m not 250m this should be revised to take into consideration the bigger turbine.
1.2.3 Photo montages used a misleading and deceptive. Most have clouds in background and a disproportion of foreground grass shown. These montage of proposed wind turbines is in the TILT Liverpool Range
Page 2 of 9

Modification Documents Composition ploys are used that trick the eye so you start to think they're not that big. But even these ploys can't hide the fact that these monster wind turbines will clutter our skyline, ruin our enjoyment of the landscape and likely devalue our property. As an exercise, some mebers community measured the height of the tallest point nearby to the viewing spot on Vinegaroy Road "Coolah Valley Lookout". It is about 800m above sea level. The Coolaburragundy River on the valley floor is about 500m above sea level. That makes the hill about 300m high from the valley floor. The wind turbines at 250m are going to be ALMOST AS HIGH AS THE HILL again! If you look at that hill from Coolah and imagine it doubled, that's close to how high these proposed turbines are going to be ! This is not portrayed at all.
2. Homes within in two kilometre radius should be relocated or turbines moved outside this safe zone.
2.2.1
2.2.2
1.3 Shadow flicker from turbines
G2 shadow flicker 3:1 and 3:3 table 3:2. Appear to only allow for summer sun
and not the low lying winter sun conditions.
2. Bio diversity
2.1. Error and MOD submission
2.1.1 ITEM 7 MOD Biodiversity Credit Report see Appendix 1 - there is no
appendix how can we evaluate this when no report on exhibition.
2.1.2 in a report include in the MOD state a assessment date 2035.
2.2. Habitat loss
2.2.1 Regent honey eater a threatened species has it habitat threatened with increased lands removed as a part of this MOD at the same time a notice from the Government department of Primary Industry and Environment to encourage farmers to conserve the habitat and put a Restriction around zone of agriculture land use.
2.3 Native Species categorised errors
2.3.1 Table 5:8 risk assessment summary. Why the low flying swift parrot risk rating ‘high’ risk when the wedge tail edge which is high flying species not consider high risk?
2.3.2 Why is the pardalote (peep wren). Not noted on the list of species when it been known to populate the area and is endangered. Photo evidence available.
3. Noise impacts
3:1 Sound assessment
Page 3 of 9

3.1.1 Sound assessment requires a peer review. Eg:- the peer review of the noise assessment for The Valley of the Winds Farm Coolah was underestimated impacts 5 – 10 decibels lower in favour of the proponent.
3.1.2 Unique topography of a valley will impact noise assessment.
3.1.3 Sound base level for rural Coolah is not like urban with background noise of traffic etc. Coolah has a near zero decibel base sound so the impact of 35 – 45 decibels increase is significant and has not been adequately considered or factored into the negative impact on community amenity both associated land holders and associated land holders. A simple demonstration of a microwave switched on and operating sends a constant sound out at hum of approx. 30 decibels. The noise factor similar to a generator by the amount we are getting will that impact sleep as these things run 24/7.
3.1.4 Unknown Noise impact of these sized 250 meter high turbines. 3.1.5 Noise direction chart has not been included or considered.
4. Financial impacts
4.1 Negative financial benefit to the community and local government. Originally over ten years ago the community was promised millions of
community financial contributions, when in reality, less $200k pa/per local Government area.
Reduced financial benefit to the community and local government from the formula used to return benefit based upon the number of turbines with increased impacts and less funds. Original project engaged the community with inflated project of over 350 turbines and a price per turbine equating to $3k x 350 turbines equated to over $1m dollars. The revised calculation if all 220 turbines used $1.2m for the construction period and then reverts to $800k (if all turbines constructed) There the community is not aware that there will be little less than this when constructed and this divided by the local governments involved less there allocation towards road maintenance etc is very little per community per annum and not the perceived $millions for the community. Eg these funds won’t go far in 2016 it cost $280k / to Form 1 km road in Coolah.
4.2. Increase funds to community impacted
4.2.1.Opportunity to the government incentive for renewables to forwarded on to the community, rather than funds going into the hands of private companies.
4.2.2 For the ‘Voluntary planning agreement should be renegotiated to be based upon the megawatts of energy produced not per turbine.
4.3 False claim to say a ‘Less negative’ impacts in our rural region loss of flora, sauna, amenity, disruption and fluctuations of housing, jobs, changes to our rural regional
Page 4 of 9

culture, the cumulative impacts by our local community and disproportionate burden for rural areas to that of high density urban and industrial areas benefiting from the renewable power use.
The project in and around Coolah will be the biggest yet in the whole of Australia and could be the last put on land as new submissions technology is putting the Wind Turbines out at Sea.
5. Road widening for OSOM
5.1 there appears to have non connected routes for OSOM (Gundare Road
Coolah) which indicates that there would have to considerable development through private property possible (Mount Mill ) to cross our Coolaburrgundy River to access this area.
6. Community concerns 6.1 Public meeting
Nearly 200 concerned citizen attend a meeting in Coolah regarding this MOD to the Liverpool Range wind farm.
Local Government says “it is out of their hands and in the hands of the State Government”. We a rural citizen have only this process of an Objection submission to impact this project and lessen the negative effects on our culture, our community, our environment and our people.
6.2. One wind project does not open the gateway for more renewable projects nor does it give way to place transmission lines through out our beautiful region.
6.3 Noted dangerous health, environmental and social issues for community concerns from meeting. Loss of human wellbeing.
- raised the height of the turbines from 165m to 250m.
- re-sited some turbines outside the previously approved development corridor - increased the footprint of the development
- increased the impact on native vegetation by 1249ha
- increased the clearing around each turbine with bigger hardstand etc,
- increased the amount of land clearing for roads, cabling and transmission lines/towers,
-increased the number of concrete batching plants
-ignored the impact on the nearby Coolah Tops National Park's visual amenity (eg. they say visitors screened by the trees, position of lookouts face away from turbines).
6.2.2 Community impacts from Energy Co transmission line study corridor and the Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (CWO REZ). Are State Significant Agricultural Lands not considered in the planning for Energy production/power connection? There a value proposition here: Rural community with productive agriculture / environments versus energy production / power connection?
Page 5 of 9

-increased the amount of native flora to be removed, including 427ha of the critically endangered ecological community box gum woodland and habitat of the at-risk Regent Honeyeater.
- vegetation removal includes habitat for seven NSW listed species ( two plant, one mammal, one bird).
- at high risk from the development are the barking owl, large bent-winged bat, powerful owl, swift parrot, white throated needletail

I am a landholder east of Dunedoo on the Golden Highway. I object to the proposed Liverpool Range Wind Farm for a few main reasons. Firstly, power should be generated where it's being used. Why does our landscape need to be polluted by turbines and power lines when we don't get to use any of the produced power? Not to mention the huge loss of generated power by the time it reaches its destination; what a waste!! There are a lot of people that will be affected by the installation of these monstrosities and not see any benefits.
Secondly, the issue of getting the turbines to where they are to be installed. Regional roads are already in a huge state of disrepair, what time and money that would be put into upgrading roads to accomodate moving the turbines around should be used to fix the already deteriorating road network.
And lastly, how would firefighting be carried out once the turbines and power lines are in place? It's not that many years since the Sir Ivan Fire in which a number of aircraft were used to assist the ground crews. I can't imagine the RFS sending planes/helicopters into an area with so much risk.
I'm not sure who came up with the whole Renewable Energy Zone but I assume it was someone sitting in an office somewhere who has never set foot in the Central West! Interrupting prime agricultural land will have a long lasting and devastating effect on Australia's ability to feed itself. Not to mention the stress it places on small communities who rely on the whole population to stay viable; this is the sort of stuff that tears families and communities apart. Imagine the uproar if it was proposed that wind turbines and a power line were installed on Bondi Beach.

I don't agree with the height and number of turbines it will have a massive impact on the view of the country, the noise will be a massive concern and also the impact on the animals and wildlife that live around them.

My support for the project is based on the following
I ) As a nation /state and local community we need to make major reductions to our carbon emissions
2) With the rapid closure of coal fired power stations due to their inability to compete in the market due to their high input costs even without a carbon tax and their age.
3) The proximity of the project to major electricity infrastructure and markets
4) The benefits to the local community
these will be in a number of forms, to land holders for hosting the turbines , this will bring in millions of dollars to the area, much of which will be spent locally
to Council .. in the form of road improvements and maintenance of these roads during the life of the project
to the community in the form of,.. the VPA which will contribute over $800,000 pa indexed to the local communities for their projects.
Business opportunities, in the form of rental accommodation during construction and post construction maintenance
supplies of food etc, fencing construction, cartage, electrical work, vehicle repairs /tyres , pubs clubs and gyms benefit from increased patronage during construction phase
tafe courses to train our young to do the maintenance of the turbines, road maintenance post construction
There are huge benefits out there for those willing to have a go, to be part of the renewable energy bonanza that is before us
There are some drawbacks, our visual amenity will be compromised , especially by those close by. It will be busy during construction, but these can be managed.
The benefits are there for the taking if we the community get involved and manage it. Otherwise the larger surrounding centers will take up the opportunities leaving us with little.
Community consultation and involvement are the key to its success, the community must own the process and the outcomes
The State govt has been 10 yrs behind industry and is no playing catch up. With the introduction of Energy Co , who put out grand plans before any consultation, scarring small communities and land owners. A lot of grief could be avoided if a more consultative approach was taken before they announce grand plans. Take a leaf out of the developers model , do your local quiet consultation be for making grand announcements.
The consultation model of State Govt / Local Govt needs a serious evaluation of its procedures
There needs to be consultation at the beginning ,during as well at the end of a projects application
Other concerns,
the decommissioning process , this needs to be approached similarly to mining regulations
THE MAIN PRINCIPLE SHOULD BE
THE PROJECT MUST HAVE MAJOR LONG LASTING BENEFITS TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
I am convinced this project can have significant long lasting benefits to the local community if the appropriate regulations are applied and enforced.
Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the discussion
Greg Piper

I wish to register my objection tof the Modification to the Liverpool Range Wind Farm Turbine and Infrastructure Changes application. With re-powering or increasing the size of wind turbines comes a lot of issues of scale and cumulative impact as follows:

Infrasound - The 6MW turbines that are now proposed are new generation and no one really knows amplitude or distances. But modelling, probability and common sense would suggest that 6MW turbine will exceed both the physical and mental critical health threshold amplitude of 80 dBz chronic exposure level of infrasound over 20 klms, which could present as a health problem to any human, farm animal or native fauna living in a 20 klm radius of a 6MW turbine.

Groundwater - Surely any increase in the height of the towers will require much bigger concrete footings as support, which will increase the likelihood of causing irreversible damage to this vital reserve. Without a reliable source of groundwater many of us on the land would not have made it through the last drought.

Native Fauna and Flora - The increase in scale of this development has caused the applicant to apply for a greater footprint to site these bigger turbines, which will further impact on fauna and flora.

Visual Impact - The increase in size of these turbines will now dwarf both the natural and rural landscapes, rendering it an industrial wasteland, which locals and visitors will be confronted with which ever way they turn.

Waste Management - With a bigger development comes far more waste to dispose of further impacting on present infrastructure.

Potable Water - Bigger concrete footings will require a lot more potable water to batch the concrete. Has the developer got access to this source. The use of groundwater is normally not permitted in concrete batching.

Aviation - Bigger turbines will create greater turbulence that will impede firefighting, rescue and crop dusting as the area could now become a no go zone for light aircraft.

New Development - Surely a substantial 40 to 50 % increased scale and output of the turbines and application to re-site some turbines outside the previously approved corridor should constitute a new DA application.

As a farmer and conservationist I feel the impact of this application will have on the community of Coolah is far too great and consequently should be rejected.

1. Massive blocks of concrete in the landscape for eternity
2 wind towers will prevent aircraft from fighting bushfires, prevent spraying of noxious weeds and stops the aerial sowing of pasture and application of fertilisers
3 Massive waste of resources and money

The installation of such large industrial turbines will destroy the beauty of the landscape along with causing the death of countless birds and bats as evidenced by numerous bird and bat reports from such industrial complexes the world over. It is environmental vandalism, these structures will destroy what they purport to save and must not go ahead.

This will not be a benefit of Coolah. The long-term effects on views and property views along with damage to road, Loss of wildlife and birdlife are just some of the things that are more important

These wind turbines will be terrible for the town on many counts including reduced land values due to the views being destroyed, Increased traffic causing damage to roads, hazards for aircraft, bird life threatened. The list goes on and on

Please refer to attached submission.

Council objects to the Modification for various reasons outlined in the attached submission.

My concerns with the project are about the details surrounding the public road upgrades to provide access to the LRWF.
The description of the proposed modification states the project wants to amend the ancillary infrastructure and transport route but provides no detail for the section of the road that effects our business.
We live on the southern end of the Vinegaroy Road . We have been identified as neighbouring landholders to the proposed development but our homes are not marked on any of the maps to do with the development.
Our property is split into two sections by the Vinegaroy Rd. We cross the Vinegaroy Road with stock, vehicles and farming equipment several times a day.
There are no details currently available as to what modifications will be made to the Vinegaroy Rd at our location, how long they will take and what impact they will have on our ability to conduct our farming business. We are particularly concerned about the safety of our family members when they are moving stock and machinery along and across the road. We hold permits to move our stock and machinery and want to know what measures will be in place to prioritise our access to the road.
We are also concerned that the increased vehicle movements along the Vinegaroy will continue to degrade the road significantly. The Vinegaroy Road is already severely compromised by its current level of traffic and the proposed increased volume and weight of the oversized and over mass loads will exacerbate the issues already being experienced.
I would suggest that whatever upgrades are planned for the Vinegaroy Rd should be provided to those that have an address on the Vinegaroy Road and that these planned upgrades should be 100 per cent completed before any vehicle movement connected to the wind farm construction occur.
I feel that very little thought has been put into the impact on the safety of those of us who live and work along the Vinegaroy Road either within or neighbouring this proposed development.

The modifications to the project make it no longer suitable for our community. The towers are now bigger which isn't aesthetically pleasing to the Coolah community, or the Cassilis community - to which they are in very close proximity.
The impact of the transmission lines has also increased. It now impacts more land affected by the Sir Ivan bushfire, which is not appropriate. The line needs to be moved elsewhere as this land is still recovering & environmental fragile.

I have serious concerns about the impact of the Liverpool wind farm (TILT), being proposed for Coolah NSW And surrounds. The environmental impact to our natural environment is NOT acceptable. The EPA studies have shown significant impact to endangered and unique ecosystems around Coolah. Yet these ecosystems are still going to be abolished with the implementation of the wind farms. The visual impact will reduce our regions already limited industries leaving tourism as one of our greatest features for our national parks and wildlife. The TILT project WILL significantly impact on our tourism industry. The. Noise pollution is of serious concern for both resident’s and fauna. In light of the information that the noise will increase in capacity as the turbines age and deteriorate. Employment opportunities for local residents will be limited and short lived, unfortunately most who come to the area to work on the sites will be transient. The short term financial gain from increase visitor’s will not cover the long term losses to the community from the impact of the wind farms. The resources used to create the project is horrendously large, with the turbines then being left to ROT in place when used or no longer sustainable. I seriously object to this project. This project will slaughter the town of Coolah and it’s surrounding villages.

will ruin the view from my home. cannot see how they will cost effective

I would like to make comments re this project: 1. I believe that the wind turbines and associated power lines will be visual pollution and affect tourists wanting to visit our area.
2. The turbines appear to require a large amount of non renewable energy resources to get them and keep them operational. Seems to contradict the idea of green energy.
3. If this project goes ahead, what does the local community get to benefit by. We were told that when the NSW Labor government closed Warung State forest and we lost our sawmill - a provider of quite a number of employment positions-we would have national parks employees move to town, didn’t happen! are we going to see an increase in employment opportunities within our community and that entails people / families moving to town??? If we see a population increase hopefully that will have a snowball affect and see various services increase or improve - more staff for our hospital and school and police even.
4. It is important not only to the landholder but the community to benefit from this visually impacting, poor energy provider to go ahead.