Winterbourne Wind Farm

This project is full of holes, secrecy and is already absolutely damaging to our community! Dangerous to our wildlife and the national parks it will border onto. Terrible proposal and a terrible location for it to go on. I have worked with vestas through my work place and they cannot even answer any questions directly. One of our councillors at Walcha council is also on the board of the Walcha wind energy project. Our town will end up a ghost town if this project goes ahead. I am concerned of the scape of the noise these turbines will generate and what it will do to our pristine farming land. Leave farming land for farming for our future generations! I have spoken to a broad range of our community and about 86% of people object to this project. Leave our town alone!

Multiple concerns include:
Proponents refusing to consult or address concerns in the planning stage: Proponents refused to attend any community engagement they had been invited to with concerned residents and refused to consult the correct First Nations tribes even after they learnt that they had not consulted the traditional custodians. When respected Dunghutti custodians went to the "consultation" office, they were told they would need to jump through the bureaucratic hoops to be "registered" as Aboriginals. About 576 ha of grounds with "high cultural values" is expected to be disturbed during the wind farm construction. Its heritage assessment only identifies 16 sites, a fraction of what the Dunghutti believe is there.

Biodiversity loss: Proponents say they will buy biodiversity offsets or credits elsewhere at the expense of our magnificent wedge-tailed eagle population, as well as the more shy endangered animals and threatened species that call the native vegetation home, which will never return once swimming-pool size concrete bases are poured across their habitat. Annual mortality of raptors at Macarthur Windfarm was found to be more than one raptor death per turbine per year under carcass monitoring reported by the local council. There needs to be an adequate plan to monitor struck raptors. The Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is a known breeding area of the wedge-tailed eagle, and even the proponent has recognised that the number of wedge-tailed eagles is significantly higher than of other wind farms. The Tasmanian Environmental Protection Authority ordered a five-month closure each year on a proposed Robbins Island wind farm to stop the deaths of migrating orange-bellied parrots - yet the raptor population remains here all year and the proponents have displayed little concern about rare raptors set to face blade tips moving at 450 km/h. The wedge-tailed eagle, the glossy black cockatoo (EPBC Act listed endangered) and the white-throated needletail (EPBC Act listed vulnerable) have been identified as birds that will be knocked out of the sky, especially because they use the updraft from gullies into ridgelines where will be built. This makes a mockery of the rhetoric surrounding the Gondwana World Heritage Area which will be ringroaded by the greatest avian threat that exists in the district.

Visual impact: There will be more structures over 230m in Walcha than in the Sydney CBD. If hundreds of 230m buildings were proposed for Mosman, it would be rejected on amenity concerns alone. We are not zoned for 230m hotels or apartment buildings, so why would it be appropriate to build 230m high wind towers?  

Industrial noise: The Victorian Supreme Court found intermittent noise from Bald Hills Wind Farm at night was a nuisance and awarded damages and an injunction. This region has a quiet, rural character where people, wildlife and stock will notice any noise. Anecdotally, landholders who succeeded in another court case fighting incessant industrial noise in Queensland claimed their animals, including dogs, cattle and sheep, exhibited signs of stress, including reduced lambing and calving due to consistent low-grade industrial noise. We have yet to determine what the impact on stock in one of the most prolific food and fibre bowls in the nation will be. It should be subject to rigorous studies, but as renewable experts point out - who would fund that study? Certainly not a government that has pinned its election promises on renewables.

Disposal: Given their short lifespan, where is their disposal and removal plan? Who will be responsible for this, and how will it be funded? It is between $500,000 and $700,00 0 to dismantle one tower alone. You are handing landholders a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars per tower to remove without being clear about the future imposition on them or the difficulties in offloading their property once a turbine is out of date, broken or faulty. There is no rehabilitation or reclamation of the structure. It's opaque at best as to who is responsible when their undoubted date of obsolescence arrives. As enthusiastic as the government is to put them up, it won't take responsibility for pulling them down, farmers will not be able to afford it, and the proponents at best give a tokenistic surety for their removal which is not even close to the cost, and even this paltry amount is opaque to it’s efficacy if and when the ownership of the wind farm changes.

You cannot claim a change from a natural landscape to a landscape of hundreds of industrial machines, which will undeniably impact cultural heritage, biodiversity, visual and audio amenity, and no plan for its disposal except for rusting on the horizon, is good for the local environment. If this were not a wind farm, this proposal would be laughed out of any planning authority for the literal monumental environmental destruction it will cause.

Director — Energy Assessments
Planning and Assessment
Department of Planning and Environment
Locked Bag 5022
Parramatta
NSW 2124
To Whom it may concern,
RE: WINTERBOURNE WIND FARM | APPLICATION NO. SSD-10471
• I am attaching my submission to the above-referenced development application
• I hereby declare that I support the Winterbourne Wind Farm proposal ID SSD-10471
• I would like my personal details (i.e., my full name): to be withheld and not published on the NSW planning portal
• I have not made any reportable political donations in the previous 2 years
Name: Sean Address: NSW
I fully support the WWF proposal as I see it as a BIG step towards a more sustainable means of producing power by harnessing nature and creating power from the wind. Having read some articles on the pros & cons of this form of power generation, I feel that it is in the best interests of the Walcha community to proceed with this project, which will not only bring employment and tourism to this rural town; but also contribute to the financial prospects of the businesses and farms in the district. My family feel very strongly about changing the ways that we produce power & have installed solar panels in our home. However, the power that these generate is limited to sunshine hours & days as well as the shade from nearby trees. In contrast, harnessing wind power will be possible day & night regardless of sunshine, shade or storm. There are many hills in this district, so this district is certainly suited to this purpose. The turbines once installed will require limited maintenance. This project will employ technicians & will create increased employment and further cash flow and possibly tourism to the Walcha community, which is relatively remote. I look forward to hearing more about the development of this project & the increase in sustainable power production, so that Australians can move away from coal powered sources and move to a greener future that will sustain our populations for many years to come.
Thankyou for considering this project and the many incentives it provides the Walcha district and greater community.
Regards,
Sean

The Uarbry Tongy Lane Alliance Inc objects to the Winterbourne Wind Farm. Refer attached.

I am objecting to the Winterbourne Wind Farm based on the following points.
• too close to National Park and resident wildlife
• serious impact on bird life, both migratory and resident - specifically raptor population
• lack of research to determine effects of infrasound on wildlife inc. resident bat population - research has not kept pace with development
• zero consultation with local indigenous community
• lack of timely and transparent consultation with wider community causing division in an otherwise harmonious community
•poor use of prime agricultural lands - no one is willing or capable to say how much gravel and concrete is to be used per turbine and the effect that will have on groundwater flow
• distinct lack of social and structural planning in order to accomodate the project
• total disruption to road use for businesses and general population
•far too close to neighbouring properties and even the town itself

This organisation is objecting to the Winterbourne Wind Farm due to the following issues:
- The complete lack of any form of a plan by council, state government or the developer to minimise the disruption of local roads and the New England Highway for between 2 to 4 years of the construction phase due to excessive truck traffic.
- The complete lack of any plan by the developer to minimise the impact of the projects construction on the existing farms and businesses in around the Walcha community.
- The complete lack of a plan by council, state government or the developer to minimise the over utilisation of finite resource within the Walcha community such as water, sand and gravel.
- The complete lack of a sustainable housing policy by all levels of government or the developer with a huge influx of out of town workers.
- The destruction and loss of prime agricultural land due to the construction of gravel access roads and construction pads for the erection and maintenance of the wind turbines.
- A complete lack of accountability by the developer for the deterioration of community spirit and harmony due to their behaviour of actively dividing a wonderful small rural community.

This organisation strenuously opposes the Winterbourne Wind Farm in its current form.

We operate a small business in Walcha. The additional truck movements required by this project will greatly reduce our ability to conduct business in Walcha. We will be forced to move our business operations outside of Walcha.

Already at a disadvantage due to poor roads, the strain of additional traffic will be insurmountable for our business.

Our home is directly in line with the proposed development. We will experience a huge increases in truck movements around our home as the road we are on is where the trucks will need to pass. I am a former truck truck driver and moved out here to be away from the traffic of heavy vehicles. All the water and concrete and construction materials and parts will pass my house.

Walcha is surrounded by national parks. The industrial infrastructure and additional roads will detract from the beauty of the area.

Walcha is a farming community. The additional traffic on our roads will hamper farmers and small business in the community.

Our roads are already failing under the pressure of the current traffic. I don’t believe the plan adequately addresses ongoing maintenance to our already burdened infrastructure.

Rental properties for families have already been affected. Opportunistic investors looking to increase rents for construction workers have been withholding rentals from our current market. This means families can’t find homes to live in and have been moving away from Walcha or living in the caravan park. Some have had to move to nearby towns putting more traffic on our failing two lane roads.

The wind turbines will permanently disfigure our view and our comfort in this community. This will force our family to move from our home and leave the Walcha community permanently.

I object to the project. I live on the corner of Angle Street and Emu Creek Road. Emu Creek road will service thousands of trucks on a weekly basis to transport equipment and parts for this project. I moved from Sydney 6 years ago to live in a quiet town with limited traffic. I have 5 children from ages 6-16. They are often home as we home school, and I want them to enjoy a safe and quiet country life. The trucks that will service this project will destroy this beautiful home school environment that we currently love. I also fear for my children’s safety as Emu Creek road is small, curvy, kangaroo-filled, and trucks already drive much too quickly past our home. My children play outside, walk, and ride their bikes on these roads. Trucks for the Winterbourne project will increase the risk the safety of not only my children but the multiple children that travel along this road to get to school and sporting events.
Additionally, I don’t believe that wind farms are a sustainable energy source given the materials required to install them and the lack of information regarding their disposal. I am also concerned about the view from our home and the noise the wind farms will generate. I am also aware of the potential damage to land and livestock—which are Walcha’s thriving industries. Additionally, I am a pharmacist who is passionate about improving rural healthcare. Healthcare resources are already limited in Walcha and this project going ahead has given me good reason to move out of this community. I planned to remain in Walcha forever, but if this project goes ahead, I will likely move out of the region.

As a Grazier in the area, I have serious concerns with the Winterbourne wind EIS and the continual reference that indicate the scope of the project is not yet clearly defined and the extent of its impacts are proposed to be determined at a later stage. As a 3rd generation land holder who has strong connections to the community and growth of the town for the future generations, I am wanting to clearly understand what the scope and impact will be in this area if the turbines are to be constructed.
I have concerns about the lack of planning and clear outline of what the neighborhood fund actually entails and what this will look like. Without clear planning, communication and details, the opportunity for a breakdown in relationships and community is heightened.
As a landholder and a father of school aged children I am needing to travel around the area frequently, the EIS I feel is misleading in the data provided for the traffic and damage to the roads during construction, as well as the time delays that the community will endure.
The EIS also provides insufficient detail on water use and where they will draw significant amounts of water from for the project.
My concerns are also around the areas that clearly impact the future of farming and community and for the next generations. The reckless biodiversity risk that the EIS states is very concerning and inaccurate, the impact on the bush fire control is serious, the visual impact and sound concerns have been underrated and lack awareness and inaccuracies.

For such a divisive project and one where the majority of the community has serious concerns about it, it is very disappointing to see such an error ridden and unprofessional EIS.

Please see my attached submission.

We are concerned about the negative impacts on our local township and community. We are worried about the long lasting impacts and the change to our lovely, beautiful town and community. We do not think the people connected to this project care about these concerns.

I believe that the Winterbourne Wind project provides an exciting future for Australia’s renewable energy industry but also for my home town. As such I’ve written some of my thoughts on the project.

The 750,000 dollar community fun means that the town will be able to take advantage of many opportunities into the future such as a possible grant to be able to pay for the University education of a local high school student, something previously out of the question for many. Moreover I also believe that it will provide a security for farmers and the community as a whole in a country that is predicted to receive more severe droughts than ever previously recorded within a shorter period of time meaning recovery efforts will be made all the more difficult.

Furthermore I’d like to say that I’ve found in recent conversation that there are some who are in disbelief of the wind recourse of the area in question and that the choice is random. Winterbourne wind will be able to tap into one of, if not the greatest wind recourse in Australia. The fact that such a recourse lies on land that is predominantly unproductive due to nitrogen poor, basic soil that is heavily lithic is a bonus given that productive soil will not be disturbed. That the towers are set to be constructed on predominantly sheep grazing country is yet another bonus. Sheep are already known to graze up unto the base of these turbines and even use the towers themselves for shade.

In addition it is my belief that developers should have a decommissioning bond for the towers to provide even further security, something I’m sure will be smooth given how highly profitable the price of copper is now, let alone 35 years in the future.

Finally I would simply like to say that Wind turbines look amazing and provide a beautiful yet effective alternative to coal. I would even go as far to say that such beauty will even further help the tourism industry of Walcha.

I object to the proposed Winterbourne Wind Farm in the Walcha region. The following are some of my concerns:

My main concern is the location of the site in an area that is thriving in its current conditions, and the Turbines will be detrimental to this.

Even though I strongly support renewable energy, I believe that the selection of the site and the size of the site at 700MW are unjustified for a small rural community like Walcha. Additionally, it is detrimental to maintaining the quality of agricultural lands in the region, as it directly conflicts with strategic land use plans.

There is not only a visual impact on the landscape, but also an impact on safety, natural habitat, and continuity of the surrounding community and environment.

In reality, Walcha will not benefit from the project. Individuals and businesses will have an even harder time finding tradesmen and/or employees in the area if local tradesmen and labour are used in the project. There is a limited amount of local accommodation for workers already, so the workers will need to find accommodation elsewhere, so Walcha won't benefit from the construction of the turbines at all. Plus there will be more traffic, roadworks, and disruptions with construction taking over the town in a big way.

Tourism is another area of concern for me. The area has some iconic visitor destinations and wilderness areas and with large turbines in those areas it will be detrimental to the town attracting visitors.

Walcha is currently a thriving community, and people are attracted to this community and what it has to offer as it is now. If the turbines are allowed to be constructed, people will start leaving Walcha in favour of other areas, and the town will decline.

For these, and many other, reasons I object to the Winterbourne Wind Farm.

Please find our submission in regards to the Winterbourne Wind Farm attached.

I attach my submission objecting to the Project.

I wish to lodge an objection to the Winterbourne Wind Farm project. I am concerned about the proposed traffic congestion throughout the construction period. I believe this congestion will negatively affect our ability to conduct efficient business throughout the broader New England area. In addition, I believe that this project will have a negative effect on the tourism to the town. I believe people will avoid the area due to traffic implications along with limited accommodation options that will be occupied by a transient workforce in our community.
I also have significant concerns regarding the biosecurity within our district. We have increasing biosecurity threats to agriculture in Australia and the increase in traffic onto agricultural land will no doubt heighten the risk of a biosecurity threat. Even if the developers and host landholders have a biosecurity plan in place, the risk of a breach to the agricultural sector, which contributes largely to Australia’s GDP, will be extremely detrimental.
Vestas have proven to be very secretive throughout this whole process. I was shocked to hear that this project had been going for the best part of 20 years. I heard about this project for the first time in the past 12 months and only through a community based group. This is absolutely disgraceful behaviour from a so called community minded development company.

I am objecting to the Winterbourne Wind Farm on the following points:
- A complete lack of consultation by the developer with the relevant local indigenous community.
- A complete lack of consultation by the developer with the Walcha community.
- A complete lack of consultation by the developer with the neighboring farming and business communities.
- The complete lack of representation of the developer at any of the community information meetings.
- The enormous destruction the project will have on the natural habitat due to the projects immediate proximity to the World Heritage listed Gondwana Rainforests and Wild Rivers National Park.
- The inevitable disruption and killing of the bird life from bird strikes in and around the national park due to the size and height of the proposed wind turbines.
- The limited resources in around the Walcha community such as sand, gravel and water to construct such a massive project.
- The complete lack of any form of a sustainable housing plan by either the council or developer for the local community with regards to affordable rentals for locals.
- The complete lack of an additional health care plan for the local community which will be receiving a huge influx of a nonlocal workforce.

The Winterbourne Wind Farm is not a sustainable workable project for the Walcha community in any way, shape or form as it currently stands.

objections and concerns;
- as an individual and a business partner we require contract labour, i would imagine if the project went through rent would rise to such a price people wont be able to afford to rent within Walcha therefore leaving the district.
- the Walcha district has a huge area of state forests, national parks and conservation areas. I believe the project would have huge negative impacts on wildlife.
- our community rely heavily on livestock transport, there are only a couple of roads in and out of the community any disruption will have negative impacts on livestock well being (the less time on a truck the better)
- in agriculture we take our bio security very seriously because it is our livelihood, projects such as this would jeopardize the agricultural industry through vehicles, foot traffic, untrained staff.
- our childrens safety is at risk on the roads, the damage to the roads due to trucks would be immense. there are also lots of bus stops and blind corners.
- i think this project has been rushed and is greed driven. the way the developer has conducted business has affected community spirit, friendships and generally changed our once spirited community for the worse.

Australia as a nation is slowly addressing climate change issues. The increase in CO2 in the atmosphere caused by the burning of fossil fuels and is a significant contributor to climate change. There is ample scientific opinion and evidence for this position. Much of the Australian energy needs are generated by Coal fired power stations. Australia burns so much coal to produce electricity that four tonnes of carbon dioxide were released for every Australian in 2021. The average person worldwide emits just 1.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide from coal-fired electricity generation. Australians emit double the average person in the United States and Japan. New analysis has found that Australia had the highest coal power emissions per capita among the world's major economies in 2021, ranking as the top polluter in both the G20 and OECD. There are many research articles available to supports this.
In my opinion, it is incumbent on every Australian to make a positive contribution towards reducing green house gasses and CO emissions. The path forward is to embrace renewable energy sources. Many regions are already embracing the transition to renewable energy, particularly solar, wind and pumped hydro, with the objective to reduce CO2 emissions. I know this is working particularly in South Australia.
In the New England region, there are already many projects in the pipeline of solar and wind but to the best of my knowledge, the Winterbourne Wind project is the first of few wind farms being considered in this region. I have always been an environmentalist and this project must be supported,not only for me, but for my children and grand children. I am convinced that the construction company will do all things that are required to meet the rigid environmental demands that are set out by the NSW government as well as overcoming all reasonable objections. Many objections will posted, many of which are based on fear and have caused division in the Walcha community.
If wind turbines were "invisible" there would be no issue with the Winterbourne project