Paling Yards Wind Farm

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Objection to the Paling Yards Wind Tower Project

Although finding a cleaner and more sustainable source of energy than fossil fuels is very important, perceived solutions should not be adopted if there are adverse effects, which in many cases, cannot be reversed.

I consider that the proposition of wind towers at Paling Yards in the Oberon Shire, to be an example of this.

If wind towers are a viable source of power, they should be erected in areas where they will have less impact on residents, either their home life, or businesses, or on flora and fauna.

My personal concerns are:

The Central Tablelands is an area of rare and great beauty. I never tire of it. It is a source of inspiration and rejuvenation for me. Its beauty draws people from far and wide as tourists, and this in turn, provides a livelihood for many people who make this part of the world their home.

The “Tablelands Way” (part of which passes Paling Yards) is a long and beautiful road, connecting Canberra in the south, with Muswellbrook in the North. It is one of my favourite drives. The attraction of this drive is described as the discovery of “historic towns, early European villages, spectacular world heritage landscapes and unspoiled countryside rich in plant and animal life”

Wind farms of this size, would desecrate this beautiful area.

The risk of harm to flora and fauna is a serious concern. On the Government Office of Environment & Heritage website, there is a long list of vulnerable and endangered species in the Central Tablelands area.
The Paling Yards site is close to the Abercrombie River National Park. As such, the safe haven that this area is meant to provide, would be jeopardised.
Many birds, including the Wedge-tailed eagle, would potentially be killed, injured, or hampered in their ability to survive - eventually possibly leaving the area altogether.
Any loss of species will affect the extremely vulnerable balance of nature.

The destruction of trees is often disregarded by developers. It should not be forgotten that trees are nature’s safeguard against climate change, capturing the carbon in the atmosphere and providing us with the very air that we breathe.

I am very concerned about the sound pollution of wind towers, particularly due to their large size and the number of them that are being planned for this region. Part of the attraction of the area is its quietness and peacefulness.

The transportation of the towers via the O’Connell Road to Oberon and then onto the Abercrombie Road, also concerns me. The O’Connell Road is a route that I travel frequently. It is of especial concern that the beautiful Desert Ash trees at O’Connell would most certainly be damaged and perhaps destroyed. Apart from being very beautiful, they are of historic significance, being a commemoration of the sacrifices made in WW1. These trees have great meaning for people - and should not be sacrificed.

There has been report of wind towers exploding and causing fires, which would be a threat to life, property and the environment. There has already been so much loss due to bush and grass fires. Wind towers themselves could also hamper the ability to fight any fires in the area.

I hope that a better solution may be found.

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Dear Minister
We act for Dr Peter Marantos and Mrs Irene Marantos, registered proprietors of 832-834 The Levels Road, Golspie NSW.
We are instructed to submit the attached submission in relation to SSD-29064077.
Kind regards,

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The erection of a Wind Farm at Paling Yards will desecrate the beauty of this tourist drive. The towers could be a hindrance in the event of bushfires. The estimated time of 22 months to deliver all the parts will cause considerable inconvenience on the planned route. This also may cause traffic accidents and loss of life. Oberon and surrounds are a major tourist area, this would be severely affected by the introduction of Wind Farms in the area. Please do not destroy some of the most beautiful countryside of NSW.

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I manage Mayfield Garden, which is a privately owned tourism business that attracts 80,000 visitors per year – 100 per cent of whom travel to our garden via the roads that make up the route that will bring the towers and blades from the Port of Newcastle.

Every customer who comes to Mayfield enters from either O’Connell Road or Abercrombie Road – both of which will host the massive 65m slow crawling trucks and other vehicles required for the 22-month build period.

Yet Mayfield Garden has not been notified or contacted by anyone, nor were we aware that there were two meetings at Black Springs or that there was an information booth at the Oberon Farmers Market on one Saturday morning.

The local Oberon Review newspaper is dead – it sells a total of 1,700 issues per month - an average of 425 copies per issue. Any proponent that is relying on the Oberon Review to communicate with the broader community is kidding themselves.

Why didn’t the proponent communicate with Oberon town and the surrounding businesses, instead of just focusing their attention to farms within 8km of the proposed wind towers?

Dues to the immense traffic, every member of the Oberon community will be severely affected by the stated 40,000 additional vehicle movements.

To bypass consultation with businesses and people who live near the major township in the Oberon LGA is a massive oversight.

Please see attached submission and supporting material.