Hills of Gold Wind Farm

As President of the Nundle Pony Club, I would like to lodge my objection to the Proposed Hills of Gold Wind Farm. The Pony Club has been community group in Nundle for many years having up to 70 members at times. Over the past five years we have struggled to attract new members to take over the running of the club and manage the amazing facilities such as horse accommodation, bunk and dormitory style accommodation large kitchen and eating areas both inside and outside, campdraft and riding arenas. This has been mainly due to the drought and the difficultly imposed by COVID 19 to allow community base activities to run.
We now have a number of young families keen to join and take over the running of the club however they are concerned that if certain community members who are supporters and potential beneficiaries of the proposed Wind Farm join the club they do not want to be involved. This is an example of the community division this proposed development has caused and I understand has occurred in the Nundle Primary School PC and Nundle Swimming Club. This is partly due to the landholder’s actions and ongoing behaviour to community members who are not supportive of the project. I spoke with Aref from Someva today 22/1/2021 and he outlined Somevas concerns of the landholder’s behaviour and how people within the Nundle and Hanging Rock Communities either for or against the project felt very intimidated about expressing their views. This shows the culture in the local community created by this proposal.
I am also concerned about the traffic routes and safety for our members travelling through Nundle and out the Crawney Road to access the Pony Club Grounds on Rally Days, Competition Days and Pony Club Camps. There seems to be very limited information in the EIS on the truck movements specific to the Crawney Road Access Route and as some of our members ride their horses to the grounds this is an important safety consideration.
The proposed community enhancement fund details reported in the EIS give our club and many others in the Nundle area very little hope they will benefit from funds provided. As an alternate member of the CCC I attended the workshop provided by Someva and feel there was not a clear way these funds would be distributed and as there was three councils involved a large amount of the money could be taken up in administrative costs. Also, the very large number of community-based organisations in the three local council areas would mean funds would be very difficult to obtain.
The Nundle Pony Club has also been approached by a Nundle Local Businessman with a proposal to further develope the facilities to attract school camps, ecotourism and add to the already thriving tourism and accommodation industry in Nundle. This would provide additional employment and attract more visitors to the area. If the proposed Wind Farm development was granted a DA this would not happen as the businessman would develop his vision in another location unrelated to Nundle. The accommodation at the Nundle Pony Club grounds presently would not be attractive for the type of worker this development would attract and without significant outside input the Nundle Pony Club is not in a financial position to carry out any upgrades.
Your Faithfully
Selena Sylvester

Please find attached our document outlining reasons for objection to the Hills of Gold Wind Farm.

Submission to NSW Government Planning, Industry and Environment in response to Hill of Gold (SSD-9679) Notice of Exhibition.

I submit this response both on behalf of my wife and I and our Family Farming operations trading as CJ and MC Eagles.

My wife (Maureen Carmel Eagles) and I object to the planning submission due to the the restrictions that The Project Road Traffic Impacts will have on us as individuals, and our Farming operations.

Our Farm relies on the township of Nundle as its closest Town. We source our groceries, shopping, meals out etc; in Nundle. We also transit Nundle to access the Major Centre of Tamworth. The restrictions in the Nundle area, during construction of the Road upgrades and the subsequent Traffic impacts generated by the 13-month construction phase (and assuming there are no project delays, which there inevitably will be) will severely limit our ability to operate over this period.

We have had no consultation on these impacts. We should have been, given these impacts. To find out only once the EIS was released, is totally unacceptable. The EIS itself provides no real solution.

This Project should be rejected for failure to consult with the impacted residents in the Timor area.

As a director of Nundle Woollen Mill, our company opposes this development.

Construction phase
During the devastating fires that occurred at Hanging Rock from October 2019 to the early January 2020, our company suffered from a slow down in sales because our visitors did not feel safe making the trip to Nundle. Rumours circulated amongst caravanners that Nundle was closed due to the fires. In actual fact the fires were at Hanging Rock, Nundle and access to Nundle was never compromised. We fear that the same is likely to happen during the construction phase of the wind farm at Hanging Rock. Once the rumour gets out that access to Nundle will be blocked to the wind farm construction, our business will be devastated. We currently employ 10 full time / part time employees, it is unknown what impact this project will have on our business during construction, we know it wont be a positive impact.

Accommodation
It is clear in the EIS that accommodation is likely to be sought from Tamworth however we do not believe this. We are confident the local hotel and motel will support wind farm construction workers along with the caravan park. This loss of accommodation will have a devastating impact on the availability of accommodation for genuine tourists, those that support our business.

The Wind Farm will be a tourist destination
The Hills of Gold Wind Farm representatives have assured us that the wind farm at Hanging Rock will be a great tourist attraction. This might be true for a short point in time. However, we believe what will be a greater tourist attraction, is in 15 years time when every other ridge line across the country has a wind turbine on it and Hanging Rock does not, that is what will bring people back. Many people visit Nundle and the Hills of Gold because it is a step back in time, they come to go fossicking, or bird watching, or bush walking, or just relaxing, they certainly wouldn't come back to have a look at a wind turbine. Please reject this proposal based on the downward impact to future tourism. This project will not enhance long term tourism for Nundle and the region. the suggestion that the wind farm will have a positive impact on tourism is an absolute lie.

Nundle Business Tourism & Marketing Group
Nundle Woollen Mill is a member of this group. Most businesses (possibly 90% of membership) oppose this development. Our group promotes the natural beauty of the region, we encourage visitors to take their time to experience all that Nundle and the region has to offer. We know that caravanners who book in for one night at the caravan park, stay for three. Those that book in for three nights, stay for a week. Nundle is a special place that we have worked more than 10 years trying to promote, much of this work will be undone with the approval of this development.

Please reject this proposal.