Bowmans Creek Wind Farm

In a previous objection to the Bowmans Creek wind farm , I mentioned my concerns in relation to scenic amenity , noise , fires etc , so to now further my concerns , I will bring to your attention the following : (1) : WEDGE-TAIL EAGLES ; The very real chance that the population of wedge-tail eagles which inhabit the area will likely be among the first casualties of the turbine blades when in operation . Watching these magnificent birds on a daily basis , souring and circling above and then diving down for prey , is a spectacle much enjoyed , and losing them to the turbines is unthinkable .
(2) : DUST ; Due to some very steep sections within the wind farm's proposed boundary , an enormous amount of earthworks will need to be undertaken just to even gain access for the required equipment , before any "real" construction on the project can begin . This activity , which will most probably require blasting (my concerns of which I will address shortly) , will inevitably create massive amounts of dust , (more so because most activity will be on high ridgelines where the ground is inherently drier) , which will be another blow for local landowners recovering from drought , as the surrounding grasses will be covered by a film of dust which will detract from the quality / value of the feed for livestock . Notwithstanding , that same dust will then wash into stock water supplies/dams when it later rains .
Application of dust suppressants (water) will likely only be applied AFTER the fact , and even then , the generation of dust throughout the project area will be ongoing , and with water having to be transported long distances , it's more than probable that there WILL be a dust problem .
The region has an unenviable reputation for the fine- particle /airborn dust generated from the local COAL MINES without adding to it ; indeed , many residents already have health issues from the current dust levels .
(3) : BLASTING OF ROCK ; As mentioned earlier , blasting will no doubt be required both for the access roads and the Turbine pads etc ; this will be ongoing for a long period of time , and is not just an issue for the livestock which will become restless , but because the nature of the topography of most of the local area to the southeast , creates a natural AMPHITHEATRE which enhances /amplifies the sounds and promotes long- distance travel of said sounds .
(4) : TRAFFIC ; It is very predictable that traffic associated with the project will seek alternate routes / short-cuts , especially from the southeast ; the alternate route is GOORANGOOLA ROAD , which is narrow and winding . I fear that an increase in traffic movement on this road , and the no-doubt heightened risk of vehicular collision , will result in not only various types of trauma , but the resultant arbituary "fix" applied /resorted to by local authorities will be to decrease the current speed limit , which in itself , then becomes another obstacle / inconvenience for those residents who have to travel long distances to town . It should also be noted that there is no mobile phone reception in this area for anyone who does need assistance .
(5) : NO CONSULTATION FROM DEVELOPER ; My (grazing) property is WELL WITHIN the radius / distance of the NATIONAL WIND FARM COMMISSIONER'S recommendation of AT LEAST 5 KLM (National wind farm commissioner < "Neighbour Consultation and Agreements" > [2.2] ) , yet there was no contact with Epuron until the late stages (23/04/2021) AFTER MY REQUEST . Epuron's representative , Julian Kasby , inferred that he had tried to contact me , which I believe is an untruth , because apart from the fact that I don't leave the property much , there were no messages left on the phone or emails (they had contact details ) .
(6) : ACCURACY OF INFORMATION ; Epuron have stated / inferred throughout their EIS that they have extensive knowledge / experience in operating wind farms , yet information to the contrary would indicate that they only have experience in the DEVELOPMENT of such , and then on-sell to an operator .

See Heritage NSW ACH advice attached

Hunter Region and Outer Metropolitan team ([email protected]) within TfNSW will be uploading the TfNSW Response. Please close the assignment to [email protected]. Thank you for your consideration in this matter, and let me know if you have any questions.
Robert Rutledge, Transport Planning Manager, TfNSW

Please find attached my objection to the Bowmans Creek Wind Farm.

Lewis Barker & Margaret barker
36 Acacia Drive
Muswellbrook NSW 2333

Director energy Assessments
Planning and Assessment
OPIE
Locked bag 5022 Parramatta NSW 2124

06/05/2021

To whom it may concern,

Re: Bowmans Creek Wind farm Application Number SSD 10315
I am attaching my submission to the above mentioned development application.
I hereby declare that I object to the Bowmans Creek Wind Farm proposal ID No. 10315
I have not made any reportable political donations in the previous 2 years.

We Lewis Arthur Barker & Margaret Isabelle Barker object to the placement of wind turbines in the Bowmans creek Windfarm project being too close to our daughter’s home which is in the approximately 3km zone.
Her residence being located at 1785 Sandy Creek Road McCullys Gap.
We object to the visual impact, decrease in property value, destruction of landscape and noise pollution.
The area has no background noise at all. The constant noise of the turbine blades 24hours per day would be damaging to health and become unbearable.
Turbines of this height and so close to dwellings is unacceptable.

Yours sincerely
Lewis Barker
Margaret Barker

Further to my earlier submissions , ( it seems that the more I think about this project , the more issues that arise ) , is the issue of if the wind farm is approved , we don't know if that area will be rezoned at some point in the future from "rural" to "industrial" as a result of the new land-use . If it were to be rezoned to "industrial" , this is something that no-one in this rural area would want , which , from discussions with local residents , INCLUDES some of the potential wind farm HOSTS !
An industrial precinct in the middle of an otherwise rural area is not going to be tolerated !

I am objecting to the Bowmans Creek wind farm because of the detrimental impact it has already had and will have on my life. Epuron came to my home in mid 2018 and told my husband and me that we would not see any infrastructure from our home or property. Epuron did ask about the possibility of running powerlines from the wind turbines through my husbands part of our grazing properties, we told them NO. We told them NO because an easement/rental agreement would impact on our properties value, we also told them we were looking at building our dream home in the vicinity they wanted to place the powerlines. This meeting was the first of many occasions where Epuron lied to us. They constructed an illegal 120m tall wind monitoring mast in August 2018 that is clearly visible from our home. Epuron have lied in the EIS regarding the impact of the wind farm project. It can be shown property values will drop considerably, Epuron rely on two reports regarding property values the 2009 report prepared for the NSW Valuer General and the 2016 Urbis report, these reports have been proven to be factually wrong. They have also indicated that our views will not be impacted to a great degree, they have said that fire risks will not increase and noise impacts will be minimal, and our air quality will not be impacted their claims are all wrong. We bought this properties to allow us to run a grazing business in a beautiful quiet part of the world away from the noise and sights of industrial infrastructure, and to not only run a successful business but to enjoy the wild life that frequents the area. The wild life includes Spotted Quolls, Wedgetails Eagles, Grey Headed Flying foxes, gliders, Koalas, Platypus Migratory Cuckoos and Koels and migratory butterflies.
Epuron are trying to steal our dreams, steal our equity and steal our way of life. This has had a major impact on increasing my stress levels, I suffer from Epilepsy and the extra stress means I have had to increase my medication levels to date by 25%. The medication doesn't come at no costs it has side effects, these side effects increase as the dosage increases. However the alternative of not increasing my medication would be seizures and the risks of death, as a minimum after a seizure my drivers license would be suspended for 6 months leaving me trapped 20km from town. Another trigger for Epilepsy is lack of sleep, the increased stress has been causing me sleepless nights and the noise from the turbines will also have the impact of keeping me awake. My mental health has also suffered considerably since finding out some of the truth about the location of the wind turbines, the size of the wind farm and how many we will see from our home. We will see 17 complete wind turbines from our home and six other to some degree. I also found it very hard going to the community information sessions and being told basically hard luck the Government have told us we need to build this wind farm. After one meeting at McCullys Gap hall I wanted to clarify a point and revisit some of the pictures/maps Epuron had displayed, to do this I went to a meeting at the Hebden Hall however, the relevant pictures/maps were not on display. When I asked if they were going to put them out and could I see them Epuron Consultant Brett Peterkin abused me telling me I had already had that information, he did this in a loud dominant voice. I left the hall extremely upset, getting home distressed and crying. Since that meeting my overall stress and mental health has been adversely impacted. I am now on medication for depression and seeing a psychologist every couple of weeks. This is not only impacting on my quality of life I am having to pay for the medication and psychologists visits. When health impacts are raised with Epuron they make the claims, that there are no impact on peoples health caused by wind farms. it should be noted in his annual reports the wind farm commissioner has recognised that people living in the vicinity of wind farms can have health issues including mental health.
Epuron offered my husband a neighbour agreement he owns the property where we live and we jointly own our other properties. The neighbour agreement made me feel ill when I read it, we would become tenants at best in our own home and property. The proposed agreement is over 20 pages including Epuron wanting the right to renegotiate a mortgage if needed, and the property could not be sold unless they agreed, and we would not be able to oppose the wind farm. The definition of wind farm includes all infrastructure. Epuron are trying to indicate the agreements as a positive in the EIS they are anything but positive. Without engaging in any consultation on top of the 23 wind turbines we will be able to see, Epuron also want to leave the original wind monitoring mast up and erect another 150m tall monitoring mast within a couple of Km's from our home. Epuron have not consulted with the community our neighbours just over 4.4km from the closest wind turbines were not aware that the proposed wind farm was on exhibition or the period of time for objections, they weren't aware that they will see multiple wind turbines from their home. Another neighbour who has land within 1km of the wind turbines has not been spoken to by Epuron at all. In regards to the homes I own with my husband on our other properties we were not even aware that these properties would be see multiple wind turbines or the impact the proposed wind farm will have on these properties. Epuron have not consulted with me or us on these properties at all. Epuron cannot get within 1km from the homes on our other properties although in the EIS Epuron have indicated they have carried out ground truthing from the homes, yet again they have lied.
In the contents of the EIS Epuron have indicated the two original wind monitoring masts constructed at 120m tall in August 2018 were constructed pursuant to the State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007 (Infrastructure SEPP). They were not and they did not comply with the legislation for 17months when they lowered the height to 108m. The Legislation also indicates the wind monitoring masts are temporary structures to only be erected for 30 months, despite the 30 months being up at the end of February 2021, the masts are still up again as illegal structures. The EIS is totally inadequate in addressing the impacts of the wind farm during construction and during operations. The noise modelling does not consider the worst case for noise propagation being in winter when it is very cold or frosty, with a high pressure weather pattern and low humidity. The EIS also misleads in regards to construction hours, indicating additional construction hours are within the relevant guidelines. The visual assessment does not include adequate ground truthing including the fact the wind turbines are 220m tall on ridges 300m above my home. The Biodiversity assessment was conducted over a very limited area and has not taken into consideration the available data from neighbouring properties for example Glencore Mining offset's, or The National Parks and wildlife information. Or even spoken to neighbours, we have a multitude of animals and birds on our properties which have surprise surprise been missed by Epuron.
The road assessment indicates the majority of vehicles will leave the site and intersect with the New England Hwy near the old Ravensworth school, there is only a minimal merging lane in this area.
The EIS is nearly silent on decommissioning although it does mention the scrap value of components will cover decommissioning costs. Just the costs of dismantling will be between $24m and $30m the scrap value of the components will be at best $2m. The maths (lies) do not add up. It should also be noted the costs of decommissioning, and rehabilitation will be the land owners responsibility not the proponent and there are no provisions in the EIS for bank guarantees. Epuron have indicated these risks are included in the secret agreements made between the host land holders and Epuron, this is not good enough.
Epuron engaged Hansen Bailey Environmental Consultants to prepare the EIS for them, James Bailey from Hansen Bailey signed off to certify that he had read and he is aware of the terms of the Expert Witness Code of the Land and Environment Court of NSW. He further certified that he had prepared the contents of this EIS and to the best of his knowledge, including that the information contained in the statement is neither false nor misleading. This statement is not correct, James Bailey was and is aware that
the two original temporary wind monitoring masts were not erected pursuant to the State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007 (Infrastructure SEPP). This is one of many inclusions in the EIS that are false and misleading. How can anything in the EIS be believed with such blatant misrepresentation?
Epuron have come into the communities of the Singleton, Muswellbrook and Upper Hunter LGA's they have lied, they have not communicated they have bullied and they think they can get away with it. They have been and are arrogant because they are trying to obtain approval for a wind farm and think it is just an exercise to get the tick of approval.
Epuron will try to down play and then brush over the shortfalls in the EIS this approach should not be tolerated. For example the fire risk have been down played to reflect a minor risk, not the reality of a high risk zone 1 area, this is extremely serious and deaths could occur because of this cavalier attitude by Epuron.
The DPIE have an obligation to the families and people and me to ensure that this is not the case, and any approval adequately addresses all of the shortfalls in the EIS including industry best practices. The approval process should include acquisition rights including adequate compensation triggered at the time of approval.

I support the project as it will be a great benefit to the community.

To whom it may concern, reguarding Bowman Creek Windfarm Application No SSD 10315 . I hereby declare that I object to the Bowman Creek Windfarm proposal ID No SSD 10315.

I am presenting a little more detail regarding issues I raised in my initial submission (1) & (2) , as well as one more very significant issue (3) :
(1) : INFRASOUND ; Whilst there is much debate surrounding the issue of infrasound from wind farms , it would be reasonable to assume that vibration from the turbines themselves would be transmitted to the large concrete support pads , and then into the underlying rock strata , from where it would quite possibly reverberate for long distances . It is highly likely that the pads would be resting on solid rock , as much of the region does in fact , consist of solid rock both above and below ground level .
(2) : TURBINE BLADE GENERATED NOISE ; The idea has been promoted that when it's windy and the turbines are operating , that the same wind would also cause background noise for the affected residents , and that THAT would diminish /cancel out the sound from the turbines ; this idea ignores the fact that because the wind farm is (intentially) located at a known windy location at a very high altitude , it does not follow that it will also be windy at lower altitudes where people normally reside . After living in the region for nearly seventy years , I know from personal experience that it can be windy at the tops of hills (some of which is local thermal updrafts) and completely calm at lower altitudes , FACT !
It has been acknowledged in the EIS that there are some areas within the project area that are so steep and rugged ("Results of Historic Heritage Assessment" <Project Constraints 5 . 2 > ) that they were , quote, "unreachable" , and "riverine-like" . YES , some of the area is very steep , which is why SOUNDS echo and amplify and travel long distances .
(3) : ACCESS , VIBRATION , AND LANDSLIP ; The steepness of large areas of the Goorangoola and Bowmans Creek region is why extensive earthworks will be required to gain access for the construction of the Project , and THEREIN lies a SIGNIFICANT issue : this particular region is very prone to landslip (examples of which I will attach) , and extensive ground disturbance will promote that occurring ; notwithstanding the very real possibility that the ongoing VIBRATION from the operating turbines could also trigger landslip .
Local history has repeatably shown that during a period of high rainfall , small to MAJOR landslips have occurred , whilst during other similar periods of high rainfall , there has been no landslip , which might indicate that a VIBRATION source might be the cause ,ie , the area DOES record small EARTH-TREMORS from time to time : (see attachment) .

Bowmans Creek Wind Farm Objection
My husband,John and myself are objecting to the Bowmans Creek Wind Farm on the grounds of cumulative air pollution during construction and the ongoing maintenance of turbines and surrounding area once construction is completed. the visual impact of 60 wind turbines,impediment to our wild/birdlife and possible danger to them, risk of grass/bushfires from the malfunction of turbines, increased traffic movements on the New England Highway and disturbance of Bowmans Creek catchment area.
Our rural village of Camberwell where we resided for 40 years is already impacted by dust pollution and has one of the highest readings in the Hunter Valley.We feel that ground disturbance,truck and vehicle movements,batching plants and the procedure to construct 60 wind turbines during adverse north westerly winds would create an increase to our air pollution problems in Camberwell and the Valley
The Hunter Valley was once considered a prime agriculture and scenic valley where people wanted to live,now it is an industrial valley. Families prefer to live away from the area and travel 2 hours to from work .The visual impact of another eyesore in our area which we already have more than our fair share of is not needed.Tourists will not flock to our region to view 180 blades turning in the wind.
Traffic congestion is a huge problem already on the New England Highway, even with the Singleton bypass scheduled for completion 2026. The single lane and lack of dual highway between McDougalls Hill and Ravensworth is a constant concern for people living and working on the northern side of Singleton. Heavy vehicle and wideload transport between Singleton and Rravensworth would be an added danger to our community and users of the New England Highway.Major upgrades would be needed to ensure safety to this area.
Wind turbines have a reputed lifespan of 20- 25 years,what happens then? Multiply this by 60 and that's a lot of debris to recycle or to put into landfill. so in conclusion this does not make them so environmently friendly as does the dispersal of transmission oils that are needed in the operation of a wind farm.
All this creates is a measly 15 permanent jobs at the end of construction!!
The Bowmans Creek Wind Farm Environmental Impact Study does not convince or prove to us that this project is low risk to our community and the Hunter Valley,whether it is residents, road users or local wildlife .
Regards
Judy and John McInerney

I would like to object to the proposed Bowmans Creek wind farm and have attached documents I posted down and were tracked as being delivered to the postal address on Thursday May 6. I am not sure if the electronic system will allow me to attach all of the documents I have forwarded however electronic documents may be easier to down load into the system. As such my objection is based on the attached documents or the posted documents.
In addition I would also like to include additional comments these being
The travel routes identify Hebden road as the main access road and no additional work will need to be carried out on the roads intersections with the New England Hwy The intersection at the Ravensworth end does not have any merging capability as traffic leaves Hebden Rd and enters the HWY. The HWY is rated at 90km/hr in this area and a merging lane will be required to ensure there are no accidents as traffic merges in this area. At the other end of Hebden Rd and the New England HWY traffic exiting Hebden Rd onto the HWY heading towards Muswellbrook has to cross the HWY and merge into duel lanes heading towards Musellbrook. This section of HWY is rated at 100Km/hr.
These sections of HWY in the vicinity of the two intersections have been subject to multiple road accidents including numerous fatalities. The additional traffic at start and finish times during construction will greatly add to the risks of road accidents these intersections will need to be upgraded.
The EIS has also indicated certain roads will not be used during construction or operations including Sandy Creek Rd. Sandy Creek Rd has already been used during the illegal construction of the wind monitoring masts and is also used to access the mast. The EIS also includes up to 4 additional 150m tall monitoring masts one of these masts is located in an isolated location with no indication of any access road from the project area. I am concerned Sandy Creek Rd will be used and my concerns were not allayed when Epuron told me that they were not intending to use Sandy Creek Rd however if traffic did use the road it was our job as residents to police the use of this road.
The EIS indicated that adequate consultation has taken place however I have checked with residents in Muswellbrook who will see multiple wind turbines from their homes, these families were not aware of the proposed wind farm were not aware it was up for public exhibition, were not aware that they could object were not aware they would see the turbines or the number of turbines from their homes were not aware of the impacts the turbines will have on their homes and the impact on the value of their homes. Some of these people have large mortgages and were concerned the banks would revalue the risks on their mortgages and increase their interest rates to cover this risk. This is not consultation this is akin to an invading force forcing their indoctrination onto the families impacted by the wind farm or the actions of a dictatorial government.
The EIS also indicates that Epuron have evaluated against industry best practice my written submission has proven this is not correct in numerous areas. It should be noted that Hansen and Bailey Environmental Consultants who prepared the EIS are aware of industry best practice. I know James Bailey has experience in multiple facets of industry best practice from his employment in the mining industry including real time noise monitoring, environmental management using ISO 14001, water access requirements, consultation, visual assessments and the requirements for approval of a mining/quarrying operation. The DPIE are also aware of industry best practice and have been directly or indirectly involved in the prosecution of mining companies for not adopting industry best practices. It should be remembered industry best practice is not limited to one industry but industry as a whole. If the wind farm industry tries to act in isolation to other industries this is only because they don't believe in and do not want to deliver their projects taking onboard industry best practice or the communities expectations. The Minister supported by the DPIE has to ensure the low standards Epuron are trying to obtain project approval for, are not adopted. Epuron have to be held to accountable for the poor quality of the EIS, if the project is approved the approval conditions have to reflect the shortfalls of the EIS and ensure the families impacted by the proposal are listened to and if there are to be impacts families cannot live with they have to have the option to move away. The option to move away is not easy there are not properties on the market of the same quality and with the same attributes in the locality where people work. Families are established in their homes the consent condition needs to include acquisition with adequate compensation to allow families to move away re-establish themselves and not be financially disadvantaged.
I have attached a total of 20 documents as per my written and posted objection, if the system will not deliver the 20 documents as attached please refer to my written posted objection.

We have read the recent submission for the proposed wind farm at Bowmans Creek and would like to formally declare that we object to the Bowmans Creek Windfarm proposal ID Number SSD 10315. We have been local residents of this area since 1968 and have been active members of the community for many years.
When we arrived at Muswellbrook the area was a well-known farming area with many dairies. The proposed construction of wind farms on some of our farming establishments can only bring further hardship for the farmers of our community that have already had to overcome numerous challenges in trying to maintain, what is often, a family history of farming in the area.
Australia at this stage should be focussing on redeveloping sustainability of our industries and part of this has been the mining industry – we do not feel that the proposed wind farms will generate the electricity requirements needed for heavy industries. It is essential that we implement the latest technology to upgrade our coal fired power stations to supply the energy 24/7 that is required by Australian households and businesses. The coal we currently extract is sent to South East Asia to burn in coal fired power stations for their consumption and to develop their industries using our resources, which are the best in the world. If the issue is around the technology of utilisation of our coal for energy development then we should be focussing on the implementation of the required technology to eliminate the problem. This would create employment, security of our resources / industry and sovereignty. We need to start focussing on providing for Australia’s needs rather than exporting our natural resources and importing goods that should be the focus of our own primary and tertiary industry.

Director of Energy Assessments,
Please find attached my letter of objection to The Bowman's Creek Wind Farm EIS.

I’m objecting to the Bowman’s Creek wind farms, My name is Patrick McMahon I am 54 years old I have lived here all my life I am the 4th generation to live here on the property. These wind farms are going to up set my brothers health as he has a epilepsy he looks out from the side verandah all the time to witch he will see these wind farms. I am not a shift worker like most on Muscle Creek I do like having my windows open while I sleep and if these wind farms go ahead I wont be able to do this as the humming noise from them will keep me awake also the work that will be put into getting these starting is going to unbearable all sorts of noises that my brother and myself wont be able to adjust to. Our dad use to own the mountain paddock to where these wind farm is plan to go so I do know that there is bats,spotted quolls wedge tail eagles along with homes for other animals. These farms are going to kill many littler birds witch might fly into them, and the noise going to make others to move also. We are quite happy where we live and want to live out the rest of our lives here enjoying what we have now,and for my kids and there kids to come its a great place to live, leave it the way it is please.
Patrick McMahon.

I object to the Bowmans Creek Wind farms
My name is Eboney Bendle I have lived at Muscle Creek for nearly all my life im the 5th generation on this property and there is no way that I want the wind farms.
At the moment I’m doing my HSC and intend to do other studies from home. Therefor I don’t think I’ll get much done as noise will be a big factor to my studies.
My family love to sit outside and look at the beautiful views that Muscle Creek has to offer, this will not be possible if these wind farms go ahead all the mountain lines will never be the same. What is going to happen to the wild life and plants once they are all gone, they will never return. The wind farms will have impact on out cattle and horse and they will not be able to cope with the noise as they are not use to the noise and you will not be able to go near them. In turn what is going to happen when the wind farms turbines have had their day are, they going to be left there just to rust away and fall down making for more unsightly views that I don’t in the first place. The impact on our health due to the droning noise it will have a negative impact on our emotional and physical health. My uncle has epilepsy and the constant noise could bring on a seizer which could be life threatening.
E.Bendle

I Terry McMahon object to the Bowmans Creek wind farms
I have lived here all my 62 years of life and in this time I have always enjoyed the view from my side verandah to be able to look out and just see nature at its best I have epilepsy and I'm unable to walk very far.
I have carers who come in and help with my day to day house hold up keep and they tell me its a nice area out here.
I would hate for the wind farms to ruin my views that I get to see and enjoy every day.