Winterbourne Wind Farm

After reviewing the EIS related to the Winterbourne Wind Farm project, I have serious concerns that the project’s impact on the more remote rugged areas and gorges immediately surrounding the project area have not been adequately considered (if at all). The flora and fauna surveys across the project area as presented in the Biodiversity Assessment Report (BDAR) that form a major portion of the project’s EIS, (compiled by The ERM Worldwide Group Ltd from field surveys and Desktop Reviews), focuses exclusively on the grazing land and open country within the project boundary. No actual field surveys have been undertaken in any of the nearby gorges.
I assume that the information in the EIS relating to semi-cleared farming areas has been undertaken with scientific integrity and is fit for purpose. In any event, I am not qualified to comment. However, it seems obvious to me that many of the potentially negative effects of the wind turbines would extend far beyond the grazing lands within the project boundary. I note that several edges of the Blue Mountain gorge are less than 1 kilometre from some of the proposed turbines (most notably #A001), and that the gorges generally have not been included for any consideration in the EIS.
More specifically, the inevitable negative impacts of the northern-most turbines (#A001-5) have not been adequately addressed for their locations on the rim of the nearby gorge and on Blue Mountain. The long-term effects on the surrounding ecosystems of the disruptive and disorientating noise and infrasound generated by the turbines, the disturbance to the visual field (huge turbine towers affixed with aircraft warning lights), destruction of natural flora/forests by access roads, laydown areas, power transmission lines and bird strike remain major concerns. Native fauna are many times more sensitive to unnatural and threatening sounds and sights than humans, and would presumably retreat further down into the gorge systems for refuge, until ultimately becoming permanently displaced.
I am very familiar with this area and its flora and fauna, and have personally seen very large groups of wedgetail eagles (>12 in a single flock), tiger quolls, koalas, rock wallabies, sugar gliders, mountain pygmy possums, a huge variety of native birds, many snakes and even salamanders in Bough Yard Creek. The gorges are a main nesting area for wedgetail eagles and these would be most vulnerable to being struck by the turbines' blades on the gorge rim and on Blue Mountain as they soar on wind currents rising out of the Blue Mountain gorge.
The gorge country that butts onto the project area is a pristine wilderness; a nursery and refuge for many native animals and a truly unique and pristine ecosystem. The proximity to the northern turbines (<~1KM) could cause many problems and disturbances to the native residents and I earnestly request that this issue is considered more deeply before any approval for the project is granted.
If the Winterbourne Wind Farm EIS had included field surveys of the surrounding gorges, I am confident that the ecological value of these areas would be self-evident and found to be worthy of protection. I sincerely believe that placement of the far-northern turbines needs to be reconsidered with great urgency, and that they be re-positioned to more suitable sites.

Australia has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at all levels of Government, and plans to meet these pledges through the rollout of significant new renewable electricity generation. These wind and solar farms are required not only to reduce our carbon emissions, but also to replace thermal coal generators as they reach the end of their operating lives. Winterbourne Wind Farm is a model project for NSW and Australia. It will generate cheap, green energy for the next 30 years to allow us to keep the lights on while reducing carbon emissions. In addition it will stimulate the local economy providing jobs and a Community Benefit Fund. I support this project.

To ensure the viability of our local council I would like to see the project go ahead. It would be terrible if our council did not remain independent and viable and the Walcha population declined in numbers due to reduced local government jobs which would have an accumulative effect across schools, teachers, sporting clubs, roads, community events, local gardens, local pool / gym, library and not to mention the devaluation of properties due to no local council. The money the Walcha Community will gain from this project alone will help ensure our local governments viability.

As a father of 2 young children I am greatly concerned about the impact of climate change and the world that we are leaving the next generation. Projects like the Winterbourne Wind Farm represent the future where we can live in comfort whilst being sustainable. It is absolutely critical that projects such as this continue to be developed and built if we are to get anywhere near the net zero carbon targets that we as a nation and global citizens have set. I 100% endorse the Winterbourne Wind Farm and hope to see this approved for the benefit of our community, our climate and our future generations.

I object to wind farms as they will destroy our community and have massive implications on our livelihood. They are not wanted by our community and don’t belong in Walcha

The Winterbourne Wind Farm project will support the local community by bringing new industry, labour and economic oportunities to the region and the local community. Australia needs to transition away from outdated thermal and coal-fired generation assets and this needs to be done quickly in order to combat climate change and a rapidly warming planet. We need to embrace all forms of new energy generation to overcome this threat and the renewable energy sector should be looked at to provide this technology. Projects such as Winterbourne Wind Farm will provide us with the quickest means to decarbonise our planet which in turn will provide new generation coming on quicker to replace current outdated themal assets. Australia has seen a full range of direct and indirect anthropogenically-caused climate events over the last several years. This includes bushfires, flooding, storm events and droughts, many of which are unprecedented for middle to younger generations in Australia. Couple this with rising sea levels, the loss of coral reefs and the severe impact this is having on our planet's (and Australia's) biodiversity and it becomes very clear that we need to propel projects such as the Winterbourne Wind Farm forward in their development lifecycles as much as possible to try and mitigate some of these devastating impacts. Renewable wind generation has been proven to be a more economical form of generation than fossil fuel burning assets, hence the economical benefits will mean we have cheaper and cleaner forms of generation for future generations.

As a father of two young children, I am very concerned about climate change and about the future of our environment. Wind energy is not only the lowest cost form of energy generation, but it produces energy with no emissions to our air, water or land. In Australia we have seen drought, bushfire, flooding, loss of biodiversity, rising temperatures, and stronger more intense storms...all in the last few years. How anyone can deny that climate change is upon us is unbelievable. We need this project and many more like it, and we need them urgently. I support this project wholeheartedly and encourage the Department to approve this project as soon as possible.

I support this proposal as an important tool to reduce emissions and address climate change. We need to increase renewable capacity significantly to meet the targets for emissions reduction. And soon.

Submission attached.

We need renewable energy instead of burning fossil fuels. The people of the Hunter Valley have been breathing coal emissions for decades. Australia has the highest rate of asthma in the world as a result. Transitioning to renewable energy is not only required urgently to combat climate change, it is required to reduce the health impacts of mining and burning coal, and to reduce air, water, and land pollution associated with coal. This is an environmental and social justice matter. I support wind energy and I support the Winterbourne Wind Farm project.

The climate is changing and we desperately need wind and solar projects to transition from coal fired generation. The Australian Energy Market Operator has forecast that most of the coal fired generation in the country will be decommissioned by 2030, without projects like these, we will be facing blackouts and load curtailment within the next few years. I am concerned about the future that I am leaving my daughter, and we need to implement projects like these faster than they are being implemented. This project will create economic development in regional NSW and wlil provide jobs and economic benefit throughout northern NSW and the state more broadly. I support this project completely.

Climate change is one of the most important issues of our times. It is important for the state of NSW and Australia to take a leading role reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. This project is an excellent oppotunity to help NSW transition our power generation systems. I understand the project will:

○ have 119 turbines with a total capacity of around 700 MW, which would make this one of the largest wind farms in the country
○ generate around 2,100,000 MWh per annum, enough to supply around 375,000 homes
○ create up to 400 jobs during construction, and 16 permanent operations jobs

I understand that wind energy is far cheaper than new fossil fuel generation, with none of the air, water, and land pollution associated with burning coal. NSW goal is to have 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (relative to 2005 levels) and we are nowhere close to that. This project will provide about 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions reduction required to achieve this goal. There is an urgent need to replace aging fossil fuel plants in NSW and Australia. For these important reasons, I support this project.

To whom it may concern,
I am a young concerned resident of the Walcha community. I would like to state my objection to the Winterbourne wind project. I do not believe that there has been sufficient information provided and it is currently splitting our small community in half. The people that have financial interest in this project are obviously for this project and many others I have spoken to have been treated horribly because of their opinion to not have these towers. Many of the landholders that will have them on their land will not be affected as they are on the far boundaries of their properties and will not even see them yet their neighbours will and there is limited compensation for this that it is not even worth getting any at all. Walcha is known as a natural beauty in the New England region especially due to the beautiful nature and wildlife. What happens to all the business that do tours of these areas? Will these be restricted due to this towers and their massive blades that will kill so much wildlife. We are also in a flight path, how will this be affected? Additionally, our roads are already damaged due to weather conditions and I do not see how 200 trucks a day is going to help this and it will also provide significant delays for all people travelling on the affected roads. I think that this is causing more harm than it needs to and it is causing people to move out of town. Yes it is meant to provide jobs but who is a skilled engineer in Walcha? they will all be from out of town and add no value to us. There is also no answers to so many questions and the Winterbourne Wind group have shut their office in Walcha and do not answer the phone so we have no way of contacting them because they do not want to comment.
Thank you for your time.

The Winterbourne Wind Farm project and other renewable energy projects are urgently required to combat climate change. NSW has set a goal of 50% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030 (relative to 2005 levels), and this project will make a significant contribution to ensuring we achieve that target. It will also contribute to the 43% federal renewable energy target. Wind energy is the cheapest form of energy generation, and much cheaper than coal and gas, with none of the associated greenhouse gases and pollution of land, water and air. This project will make a positive contribution to the state and to the local community, providing jobs and economic development.

Wind energy is significantly cheaper than carbon intensive power. NSW needs to build out it's renewable energy resources to improve energy cost, health and environmental outcomes.

I support this project.

As long term landholders located in the affected community of the project, we declare that the proponents of this project have been exemplary in their conduct during the years leading up to the current submission
The community has been widely consulted, giving all involved, either directly or indirectly, more than ample opportunity to be fully informed at each step of the process
The proponents have listened, and have made adjustments based on feedback, in paticular adopting a Code of Conduct developed in consultation with hosting landholders that protects the interests of non-hosting landholders as well as the environment and wider community
As such, this project aligns extremel well with the current and generational aspirations of both Walcha and Uralla Communities

Beneficial for the environment, local economy and wider community

This project has enjoyed a long and widely canvassed consultation process with no surprises in the communities of Walcha and Uralla
There are long lasting economic benefits for both communities that will be intergenerational
Hosting landholders have had considerable opportunity to consider, have their concerns addressed and met and thus the project will emerge as one of the best in the country in meeting expectations of a wide cross section of the local and wider community
In addition, the large amount of sand required for the concrete foundations of the towers will provide opportunity to rehabilitate the nearby upper reaches of the nearby Gwydir River from the siltation caused by the extensive gold mining activities at Rocky River during the mid 1800's

I believe that this project has the potential to advance Australia’s progression towards a sustainable future and is thus of great importance.

Dear Sir/Madam, Our property Eastlake , 1224 Hillview Rd, Salisbury Plains, in the Uralla shire, has a planned, approx 6km, 330KVA power line to transverse the property. This will transmit power from the WWF to a substation in the Salisbury plains area. It will enter the property across the Blue Mountain road , head north for around 2.5km , then WNW for approx. 3.5km to exit the property. As a group of 6 farmers who will host this easement, we have had extensive consultation with the developers, and have come to a mutually agreeable compensation package for the power line easement, for the life of the line. As an individual farm we have also negotiated some special conditions regarding compensation for trees to be removed and also the EXACT GPS positions for the line to be routed . The reason for this is we have undertaken extensive revegetation works over the last 40 years, and the agreed path limits the unnecessary destruction of both planted and naturally occurring vegetation. In a perfect world there would be no power lines, wind or solar farms, or other forms of power generation. The reality, however, is that the population requires power for many reasons, and we have to manage climate change issues,and to oppose outright such proposals is not practical in the developed society we live in. There is always trade offs in any situation or decision, and I believe the WWF developers have have been responsible in the way they have approached dealing with landholders. For these reasons I support the WWF power line proposal that will directly affect us. We will also see some wind towers at an approx distance of 3 km, on neighbouring properties. I do not have an ideological dislike for these as some seem to have. I spent some time in Western Canada, Alberta, where they are very common, and after a while they do become just part of the scenery. As I stated before in an ideal world we would have none, but that is quite impractical. Thank you for accepting this submission. Sincerely, Gordon Williams.
,