Crudine Ridge Wind Farm

I wholeheartedly support the development of the Crudine Ridge Wind Farm. Australia is the largest per capita greenhouse gas emitter in the OECD. This is primarily due to the high percentage of coal (76%) in the fuel inputs to its electricity generation mix. Electricity generated from renewable sources such as wind farms is therefore central to Australia's ability to make deep cuts in its GHG emissions. Wind energy detractors may point to a number of 'adverse' impacts of wind farms the majority of which are either untrue or exaggerated. A visit to the Upper Hunter will confirm in anyone's mind the wide reaching environmental, health and social impacts of mining coal for electricity generation; archaic and inefficient to the extreme. I believe it is a step in the right direction for this beautiful mid western region to begin embracing the renewable technologies upon which a sustainable energy future relies. While wind energy sceptics maintained that wind power could only ever contribute 10% to the energy mix they have been proven wrong. In`South Australia 25% of the electricity mix is sourced from wind power and Denmark has a goal of sourcing 50% of its electricity from wind power by 2020. The wind farm at Crudine Ridge is a positive step for this region providing local employment and clean energy. May it be the first of many.

This is a significant development that would help NSW to transition to a more sustainable energy future.

The environmental impact is very low and is sustainable in a non-prime rural environment with a low population density.

At the community and LGA levels, concerns have been raised as to the capacity of the road network to support the project during the construction phase. The concerns are overstated and disproportionate and can be addressed satisfactorially by the propent with lasting community benefit.

The adoption of this technology has comapritive society wide benefits when compared to the health impacts of mining and combustion driven generation.

It is important for NSW's economic future that it engage effectively to ensure its economic future as well as sholdering equitably it's responsibilities for global environmental health.

The project has merit and should it be come to fruition it will provide a significant benfit to the citizens of NSW.

I support the development of the proposed wind farm at Crudine Ridge.
I believe this development should go ahead because:
* Australians need to minimise their dependence on burning fossil fuels to create power, and instead generate energy from renewable resources such as wind.
* We should take advantage of technologies such as wind turbines that will allow us to minimise our contribution to global warming and climate change.
* Using energy derived from wind farms, rather than from alternatives such as coal, will help us to preserve our scarce resources of water.
* Scientific studies show that wind farms do not usually have significant adverse effects on human health, livestock or birdlife - in spite of unsubstantiated claims to the contrary. Misinformation has been used to create fear and uncertainty about wind farms, but we expect our political leaders to make decisions based on scientific research. More research is needed into the impact on residents of `fluctuating swish' noise but this should not be confused with infrasound.

I have had the privilege of visiting the Prymul area for quite a number of years. As a Chartered Accountant I have watched the struggles of my client improve their land, tenaciously manage drought and struggle through situations that other mere mortals would have long deserted.

Being a city dweller, I have nothing but admiration for the farmer. It is a thankless occupation, which stretches the dark of early morning to the depths of night with minimal financial reward, when compared to the hours expended.

It is unfortunate that most inner city dwellers are of the view that food and agricultural products mystically appear on the supermarket shelves, without any thought as to the process that delivers it there. It is a stain on the conscience on the majority of the nation.

It is a disgrace that an industrial complex (wind farm by another name) could be envisaged upon this landscape. It may provide income to the lucky few from the financial stress of farming, but affect the value of the farms of the others in the area.

After all is said and done, the farmer puts all they have into their land. They expend all their emotional, physical and financial capital as custodian of the farm. The wind farm development, in my view, will greatly diminish that value.

I am no expert, but have visited a number of wind farms. I know the noise carries and they are an industrial operation. I have travelled the roads around Prymul and would find the construction and transportation of the turbines to be difficult and disruptive; given their size and scale.

The increase in the chance of fire due to transmission lines passing through wooded areas is a substantial risk. I have travelled Aaron's pass many times and it has much dry tinder and thick growth. Fire is risky at most times, why increase the risk?

The environmental report I saw spoke of a vast plain. I have travelled the area often and have never seen a vast plain. The area is undulating; this gives it its suitability to grazing rather than cropping in my non-expert farming opinion.

Finally, as I foresee a strong downward movement in the value of surrounding landholdings, it is possible to trap aging farmers into their landholdings, as they will unable to recover the capital they expended. On top of this, they will no longer have the simple aesthetic benefit they have had in return to their thankless toil, due to the scarring of the landscape with industrial wind towers.

I strongly object to the Crudine Wind Project on the basis of equity and fairness. The only sustainable practice of the area is the current farming operations, not an industrial wind farm that only exists through public subsidy.

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