Hills of Gold Wind Farm

I support the project as Australia needs to move away from fossil fuels to renewables and it will create jobs and economic growth for the local community.

The Hills of Gold Wind Farm will be a great project for the states move towards renewable energy and will help the local communities through investment, employment opportunities and community funding.

I've been in Nundle and Hanging Rock for 6 years and I support the jobs the wind farm will create and help reduce unemployment in the town.

I've lived in Nundle and Tamworth my whole life and I have owned the Peel In Hotel for the last 54 years. I strongly support the project and I think it will be great for Nundle while it's being built and also the thing that really stands out is the community enhancement fund for the lifetime of the project. There are many great projects that can be done in Nundle, which can gain funding from the community enhancement fund. For example, re writing the history of Nundle, a small water park attached to the pool for the local children, maintenance on the Nundle War Memorial Hall that the community look after. The wind farm will be a good opportunity to bring people into town, and supporting the local school and the few facilities left in town. The community enhancement fund could support the town over the next 35 years, and make it into a vibrant town, like it used to be 30 years ago.

This project will bring in high skill long lasting jobs not only in the construction phase but in the ongoing monitoring and maintenance stage. These high skill jobs keep talent in the region.

Renewable energy is much needed and will bring positive financial gains to the region.

Fisheries NSW has no objections to the proposal as there are few direct impacts on Key Fish Habitat. The Department would require that all road crossings, underground cable routes, transmission lines and temporary access tracks minimise impacts on the waterways. To achieve this all works should comply with Fisheries NSW Policy and Guidelines for Fish Habitat Conservation and Management (2013 update) available at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/publications.

I am the wife of the main land holder of the Hills of Gold Wind Farm proposal. I was so excited for our community when we were told that Wind Energy Partners had enough wind data on our property that they were now going to submit an application for the wind farm. I had just built a community Gym in the Nundle Sport & Recreation club by enclosing a verandah that wasn't being used and purchased 2nd hand commercial gym equipment. I had a group of around 10-15 ladies that I trained 5-6 times a week. It was such a happy and positive environment, it bought together different people that normally wouldn't socialise together and it also gave the Club an income from rent badly needed as they have little funds to keep the club open.
Then came the day that I told this group which I considered friends at the time about the wind farm proposal as they were being informed that week from Wind Energy Partners, I couldn't believe their reaction and they never talked or trained with me again after this. I was left training two people from this group for a year when I finally gave up the Gym and Training in our community. The Gym was only sustainable from my husbands support with paying for the insurance and an understanding for my passion for creating a better community with a skill that I had for a service that did not exist is this small country community.
These types of services are badly needed for good health and social interaction in isolated community's but without funding they are not sustainable.
You see services in this small community are very limited. This community needs better services which the wind farm could help create.
I have seen the worst and best of human behavior over the last nearly 3 years and I wouldn't repeat them. The Government needs to be aware of how badly some people treat you in your community when you agree to lease your land for wind turbines. It is not okay to be under constant harassment from some of the "The Hills of Gold Preservation Group", it is not okay that Neighbor's who you have had a great relationship for over 30 years now block your access to your farm because a fence line and gate is slightly been put in the wrong place more than 50 years ago and then tell you that if you stop the wind farm you can have the access back. It is not okay when Neighbors who you have employed for nearly 20 years now don't speak to you, it is not okay that the children of these badly behaved people have constantly given my 10 year old son with autism at school a really hard time.
But then you have the best of neighbor's up here at Hanging Rock who all work together to look after each other and thoroughly support the wind farm.
When this proposal first began the people that were against the wind farm definitely let me know in many ways how they felt but so did the many community members who supported the wind farm and it is because of these people that I have coped and still believe that this whole community will benefit as well as their children and grand children for the life of the wind farm and beyond
It was these community members that now work and stay in other towns during the week because of the lack of work in the area that now hope they can move back home with their family's full time because of a possibility of a job related to the wind farm or with us on the farm.
It is these women in this community who now hope they can get a good permanent job with good hours. It is also these women who hope that with a more thriving community there could be a possibility of child care as there is only care for preschool age children three days a week and if we don't get more family's moving into the area this service may not exist.
It is because of this community supporting the wind farm that asked for a group to be started called "The Friends of The Wind Farm", they then asked for a sign to put up on their house or property to proudly say they supported the wind farm. I had 20 signs made which I wasn't sure how many would be needed as the anti wind farm group have around 10 signs up in the community. Not only did I get those signs up but put a total of 80 signs up because as more signs went up community confidence started to grow and they became less afraid of letting others know of their opinion of supporting the wind farm but some signs were taken and some defaced with swear words.
I was surprised at how many of the older community especially the ones that their family's have been here for many generations not only support the wind farm but hope to see it go ahead while they are still are alive. They have had all their children move away to find work, and say they don't bring their family's back very often because there is nothing here for the children to do.
There are very few things for the children to do in this town other than a swimming pool that can be used around four months of the year. There are no sporting teams, basketball rings, skate park's or even a track to safely ride a bike or a foot path to scooter along. We have a park that is aimed at small children, so once the children get near the age of finishing public school it is no longer suitable for them.

Why I support the "Hills of Gold Wind Farm"
I moved to Nundle from Campbelltown near Sydney thirty three years ago and have been around long enough to see the town lose a butcher shop, a bakery and have watched the two shops in Nundle change hands many times over those years with both shops back then sold both fuel and groceries. Now one is a grocer and the other is take away and fuel. If you talk to the old locals they tell you when they went to school here fifty years ago there was 150 students and now we have less than 40 students.
There are less family's here now because there are less jobs and there are less jobs because the Nundle council amalgamated with Tamworth Council, the forestry now employs a lot less men and the large farms employ very few farm hands because of the drought and the high costs of running farms. I lived on Wombramurra Station when I was eighteen years old and there was a large work force of around twenty men, that same farm today even though split up would have only 2-4 employees. Less jobs means less family's which means less children attending Nundle Public School and if you look at the family's that own large land in the area, their children have all grown and so have their grandchildren so there is no new generation of children coming along.
I support the wind farm because of all the employment it is going to generate ,full time employment not just casual or on call employment. The pub will need to put on a lot off extra staff, the two shops will need extra staff to cope with feeding the amount of people working on the wind farm. We as wind turbine hosts will be able to afford to put our farm hand staff back on full time after the tough times from the drought but also create employment and training for younger community members that have been unable to find work. The other farmers who will be turbine hosts or who receive an income will also be able to employ more people to improve their businesses.
More people in our community mean more jobs with enough hours and income to be able to live a good life not just survive or do without. More family's mean more children for our school, which then means more teachers which then means a better education. It just keeps growing and growing.
I support renewable energy and believe in climate change, we as the main land holders can be part of helping our State with the change over from fossil fuels and help provide this land to be leased to assist in creating a cleaner future and I believe that we will need this power because of the closure of Liddell Power Station and the age of Bayswater Power Station, we are going to need Electricity

I believe we have the most amazing scenery along this ridgeline that you wont see any where else. I drive this ridgeline with my husband every week and never get sick of the drive. I close my eyes and take a deep breath and then open them and see so many mountains and miles into the distance, it feels like your on top of the world.
I truly believe we have an amazing tourist attraction just with the ridge itself because no one gets to see it because it is over our fence and you cant see it from the road.
I believe if the wind farm went ahead there would be the possibility of running wind farm tours driving polaris buggy's along the ridge and as well as showing how a cattle farm works. I believe there is a huge possibility of mountain bike riding along our 34 km ridge line which is all accessible, this could be a huge tourist attraction.
I believe we could do a "Run with the Wind" here along our 34km ridgeline, I have already had interest from a Group in Tamworth who run the Tamworth runs who told me that people will come from everywhere to do long runs with amazing views and the money that is generated gets donated to the Westpac Helicopters.
I believe the town of Nundle will boom if the wind farm gets approved, yes you will see the turbines as you drive into Nundle but the benefits are huge and support in the community is huge and I believe the community that are frightened of the change will adjust to it when they actually see the benefits, the road upgrades and the large community fund.
This town needs an injection of money, the Nundle Sport and Recreation Club has no money to do repairs and only enough funds to keep the doors open for two more years, I am a committee member and believe part of the community fund would be able to assist this important building remain open. This club is used for a small bowling group and open on Saturday nights for dinner which is really important for social contact with very little else to do in this community.
I also believe their are not many people are affected from the wind farm as there are not many people that live close to us and it is very isolated up here on Morrisons Gap Road.

Crown Lands has the following comments for this proposal:-

The Department acknowledges the proponents’ contact with the Department and their understanding of the requirements for authorising development of Crown Roads.

The document notes that the Project has excluded the use of Crown Reserves, however the ancillary development footprint for access alteration includes potential significant impacts to Lot 440 of DP 822503, which is Crown reserve 85916 for Public Recreation (P107 of report). This reserve has high value for community amenity and environmental conservation.

Any development within the Reserve would require negotiation with the reserve manager, Tamworth Regional Council. Some forms of development may not be possible without Ministerial consent sought via consultation with this Department.

Any impact to Crown Reserves or Crown Waterways must involve consultation with the relevant local Crown Lands office prior to the implementation of any works.

The Hills of Gold Wind farm should not go ahead. The proposed area of the wind farm is covered in mature trees and native vegetation which is home to a large variety of animal species, including the endangered sugar glider, squirrel glider, several species of micro bat and the koala to name a few. This proposed wind farm should be built where there are already no trees and native vegetation, not destroying koala habitat. It is not only the clearing of land for construction of wind turbines, but the constructions of access roads, sub stations etc etc which would cause the destruction of vast areas of native vegetation.
Find another location for this wind farm, NOT on the ridge line above Timor Valley or Crawney Pass.
Clearing large areas of vegetation to construct environmentally friendly wind turbines does not stack up as saving the environment.

Please see attachment below

I believe that the wind farm will be a great benefit for the community.
Because it will provide a lot of employment during construction and ongoing employment for the duration of the wind farm which this town is lacking as there is very little opportunity for work in our community.
There is more people that support the wind farm in our community than against especially the older generation that were born and bred here as they all would like to see the town prosper.
As a retired local Nundle community member that is involved in the bowling club, I am very concerned that this club will not remain open unless it gets some decent funding.
I am also involved in the craft shop and I don't see how the wind farm going in will affect it in any negative way.
There is so much needed for the children in this community, there is nothing here for them except the swimming pool.
I believe the wind farm will increase the tourism to our town which brings business here as people will need something to eat and fuel to get back to their homes.

Please see EPA submission attached.

It takes more dense fossil fuel energy from coal, gas and oil to mine, manufacture, construct, install and maintain a wind turbine than it will ever generate in dilute energy in its lifetime. A wind turbine will not last more than 20 years and cannot provide reliable energy. A wind farm is a total waste of space and will not pay for its actual manufactured cost of carbon emissions, without the massive subsidies being paid for by taxpayers in Australia. Who will pay for the removal of the wind turbines when they are of no further use and where will they be buried or disposed of?

This project will have an enormous effect on the area as a whole. Pollution caused by noise and visual effect cannot be underestimated. The wind turbines are manufactured in China and cause a lot of of pollution both in manufacture and in construction- they also have to be replaced within a 20 year period which will also be at a cost to the enviroment . Noise pollution will be a constant feature of the turbines. Also generation of electricity is only achieved when the wind blows and also blows at less than a certain velocity. This will destroy the beauty of the area as a whole.

The NHVSS is against the construction of the Hills of Gold Wind Farm in the location as proposed in the EIS dated 18th November 2020, Project Number 0550690.
Our main objections are list below, however given the very small window of time for submissions to be lodged, we were unable to fully document all our concerns. Our main concerns are the destruction of vegetation (particularly native vegetation), loss of animal habitat (particularly threatened and vulnerable species habitat), soil erosion which may affect downstream karst areas and river systems, impact of spinning turbine blades on airborne creatures (eg. microbats and birds). The destruction of 2.067 sq km of native vegetation and 2.8 sq km of other vegetation, is NOT justification to build a wind farm. Build it in another location where the land has already been stripped of vegetation year ago for farming.

The proposed wind farm will destroy 2.07 square km of native vegetation and 2.78 square kilometres of other vegetation. This is a large amount of vegetation which is producing oxygen for us to breathe. It is also a huge loss of animal habitat and in particular habitat for threatened and vulnerable species. The removal of vegetation will cause soil erosion which may affect downstream river systems. The clearing of vegetation is not a solution for renewable energy. Put the proposed wind farm in an area which is already cleared of vegetation - don't chop down trees or clear vegetation.
The spinning turbine blades will impact on airborne creatures such as microbats and birds, and could easily kill them if impact occurs.

OBJECTION TO HILLS OF GOLD WIND FARM Nundle/Hanging Rock NSW
By OBJECTING to the Hills of Gold Wind Farm I acknowledge the
custodians of the land upon which this project is proposed to be built
and their totem, the Wedge Tailed Eagle, a protected species under the
provisions of the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 that will be endangered
by the positioning of this wind farm.
I believe the proposal would have an incredibly detrimental impact on
the ecology of the mountain range resulting from clearing native
vegetation for transporting components and building roads, turbines,
transmission lines and associated infrastructure, to removal of habitat
for threatened animal species, potentially impacting threatened plant
species, disruption of soil for earthworks, and disrupting runoff into
creeks and rivers.
The proposed Hills of Gold Wind Farm is not a choice between fossil
fuels and renewables, but a choice about environmentally sensitive
siting of renewables. The proposal is to be built on soils classified as
level 8 and unsuitable for this purpose in a Class C area of wind
suitability.
It is not within the New England Renewable Energy Zone that is
government recommended as one of the most suitable areas for
renewables.
The topography of a wind farm should be flat, yet elevated. Bumpy,
uneven terrain creates potential wind-blockage, slowing airspeed
through the farm. Wind-speed increases at higher altitudes, however so
it is important that the entire flat area is also elevated. For this reason,
many wind farms are located on hilltops, but the hilltops themselves
may be flattened if they are not naturally levelled. This does not
describe the siting of this wind farm.
The Hills of Gold Wind Farm of 70 x 220m high with 80m Turbines is
proposed to be built within 185m of the boundaries of National Parks
and Nature Reserves set aside for scientific study with blades that will
cover, above and below, the canopy of trees and endanger any bird or
bat that returns or leaves the shelter of the canopy.
Visually the proposal would totally change the step back in time
ambience and immersion in nature experience for residents and visitors.
It will completely destroy the reason people choose to live in this area
and deter tourists who won’t come ‘just to see another wind farm’.
The overestimated job creation by developers on the construction and
maintenance of the proposal is temporary and will be done by skilled
sub contractors who will then move on to the next project; as happened
twice with the construction and raising of the level of Chaffey Dam.
The NSW Energy Infrastructure Roadmap and Electricity Infrastructure
Investment Bill 2020 identify the significance of community consent for
proposed developments.
The majority of the Nundle and Hanging Rock communities have signed
petitions opposing the proposed Hills of Gold Wind Farm and do not
want to ‘destroy the environment to save the environment’.
Thank you so much for considering my request.
Kerry Fitts

Now in my seventies, I have been visiting the Nundle area since a teenager, firstly to hunt and camp and later to introduce my children and friends to the area. Some of these friends have built their homes and raised their families in Bowling Alley and Hanging Rock. I have always been impressed by the natural and rugged beauty of the area and have appreciated its pioneering and gold mining history. Although, a sometimes harsh and challenging way of life, those locals I have come to know, respect and appreciate their environment.

I object to the proposed wind farm because of the changes to and destruction of the currently unspoiled landscape and the impact of traffic, road building and noise on the local communities.

This area and its history should be left for future generations to learn about and experience.

As a landowner with an agricultural business joining the project zone and the nearest turbine being 300 metres from my boundary, I object to the significant financial impact this proposal will have on my business and value of my property. I object to the massive impact it will have on the visual amenity of the area. As an Aboriginal person, I object to the the industrialisation of a landscape that is my home and that of my people. It is another slap in the face of Aboriginal people to have more land desecrated for industrial purposes.

- The aviation survey is not complete. The consultation in many places involves the comment-Email sent, no response. This is not consultation.
- One of the aerial applicators who did respond stated it would impact on $80 000 annual business for his operation. This was Middlebrook Air. They responded saying they take the same stance as the AAAA.
- The consultant states that there is no need for aviation lighting yet states right through the report that CASA states that any object over 150m will need lighting. It is contradictory in itself. Outside of what the consultant says, the report indicates that lighting will be necessary.
- The Aerial Application Association of Australia (AAAA) are completely against Wind turbines due to the impact on business. They are the representative body for agricultural pilots. The report claims consultation, the report then states a communication was sent and no response was received.
- The Local Land Services were sent 2 communications. As no response was received, this was considered consultation. The LLS run the wild dog baiting program.
- CASA were contacted and responded that they would only review assessments referred to them by a planning authority or agency-therefore, no comment from CASA.
- The report stated that there would be no impact on the nearest agricultural airfields. The closest airfield was left out of the report as is can't be used and is on the landholders land. The 3 reported on were stated to not be impacted yet the turbines will need to be turned off to facilitate landing and take off. This was stated in the report. The report contradicts itself by saying no impact but then saying the turbines need to be turned off to use the airstrips.
-There is no discussion about the impact on the application of fertilizers/spraying and whether this will still be possible due to the turbulence/wake. The report simply says that the applicator needs to consider risk. This will significantly impact on agricultural business in the area. On my calculations, the reduction in fertilizer and therefore carrying capacity will cost me between $75000 to $95000 annually. The proponent has been made aware of this but has refused to enter into any form of discussion.

- Visual montages have been requested, the photos taken by the proponent, the montages requested 3 times, including through the CCC but they have still not been sent. This is my personal experience and that of my brother. There are other landholders in this position. I believe that the proponent is refusing to give me the photo montages they have taken as they know the significant impact the turbines will have on our dwelling and property.
- The proponent has not negotiated the siting of the turbines with close neighbours-we have dwellings under 2 kms from the turbines. A neighbour agreement was handed to us, it was full of mistakes, this was brought up at a CCC meeting. The proponent spoke with me for 30 minutes in relation to this and has not been back. There has only been the delivery of information as opposed to negotiations. The proponent has not negotiated other close landholders. There has been zero discussion with me about impacts of the turbines and how they might be adjusted.
- The value of the lifestyle blocks we created under the Nundle LEP will be significantly devalued as per research. Das have been approved, dwellings started and now a Windfarm proposed which will significantly devalue the property. In speaking with council at their open day in Nundle, the discussion was that the new LEP will likely revert back to 500 acre lots to allow for lifestyle blocks. The windfarm will impact directly on the value of these blocks.
- A small two bed dwelling at Hanging Rock in the area of the proposed windfarm was knocked back by council due to the concerns about runoff from the roof containing zinc that might impact on the trout farm, the impact on koala habitat and possible sewerage contamination of the area.
- Nundle already hosts the Pine Forest renewable resource. The falling of this forest will decimate the visual amenity of the area. It is currently happeninh. It will be replanted and logged again. This leaves a small strip of native forest between this plantation and the proposed windfarm. Nundle should not have to support 2 renewables that impact significantly on the visual amenity in what Kevin Anderson has described as the Jewel in the Crown of the Tamworth region.
- The petition against the proposal as presented to Kevin Anderson shows quite clearly that over 50% of Nundle do not want this industrial development on the ridge line.
- No where in the report does it refer to the ridge itself as a significant feature but rather refers to the impact from other significant areas and says that this is moderate to low. The report is flawed.
- As a member of the Community Consultative Committee, I, along with other members have been denied access to the property that is proposed to host the turbines. The landowner has refused some of us access as he knows we object. The major land owner has threatened to shoot my stock. I have had to involve the police who have given him a formal caution.
-This proposal has caused massive community division.