Hills of Gold Wind Farm.

I am in support of the Hills of Gold Wind farm given the need for our transition to renewable energy sources from coal and gas as called for by the science to mitigate the risk of climate change and global heating.
The project will power a significant number of homes and is close to the current transmission lines making the location viable. It is in accordance with the New England renewable energy zone and will make significant a contribution in energy production.
Pollution from turbines is negligible in comparison with coal fired power and coal seam gas mining making this energy source a healthier option for our communities long term.
In terms of objections to visual impacts stated I find wind turbines to be quite a thing of awe and beauty in their own way and have no concerns on that issue.

I attach Submission 4 with objections to the Hills of Gold Wind Farm SSD-9679. More submissions concerned with other relevant parts of the EISwill follow.

This submission deals with the following objections:
-the impact of the site location such that it will sever the connectivity corridor between the Crawney Pass National Park and the ben Halls Gap Nature Reserve.
-the threats from the Project to identified threatened rare and significant species of plant and animals with the above mentioned parklands.
-the clearing of land and destruction of habitat that has already occurred on this Development site, prior to any approval of the Project.
-the inappropriate site for a wind farm and the resulting negative impact on the landscape character of the region
-the non-adherence to sustainable development principles set by the Commonwealth Government

Growing up in Nundle you learn to accept you live 60 kilometres from ‘Town’ (Tamworth). Teenagers take a three-hour round trip to high school. I did it for six years. It was a long slog but when we’d arrive home with the sun setting and see the outline of the ridge from the school bus, it felt like home. In Year Ten, Mum worried about the long commute and suggested we move to Tamworth. My sister and I were horrified. As kids, we didn’t want to live anywhere else. It’s a special place that taught me the meaning of community.

Now I’m an international freelance journalist and some of my stories have focused on global warming. I’ve seen first-hand the devastating effects of climate change from West Africa to Antarctica. I've seen how important renewable energy is to countering global warming. So why am I against a wind farm in Nundle?

It’s not a case of NIMBYism (‘not in my backyard') as developers might claim. As a society, we desperately need more wind and solar power. But that doesn’t mean developers have a right to build them wherever they wish or that communities have no rights over how they’re affected. To put it another way, I’m a believer in the need for good roads. That doesn’t mean you can build them through homes just because it’s cheaper than going around them.

Nundle is nestled in a valley and surrounded by the Hills of Gold. The town’s very existence is built on the unique history and beauty of the countryside.
Over the Easter long weekend, Nundle’s ‘Go For Gold’ festival brought 18,000 visitors to a village of 300 people. An estimated $350,000 dollars flowed into the local economy. This festival is just one of eight iconic events on the Nundle calendar. Next month the village will hold the famous Nundle Dog Race. The area has rare flora and fauna, including endangered species thought to be extinct.

People visit these festivals because of a feeling that Nundle is special. It connects you to our rural heritage. It’s blessed with historic buildings like the former courthouse and police station that have been placed on the Register of the National Estate and beautiful examples of 19th century architecture like the Woollen Mill, the Peel Inn and the Primitive Methodist Church. But other towns have historic buildings. It’s the untouched, natural setting that completes the picture.

Having grown up in Nundle, it’s been galling to hear supporters of the wind farm suggest the turbines could boost Nundle’s tourism. Perhaps there was a time, many years ago, when wind farms were such a novelty that people would come out to look that them. Today – in 2021 – they would be the opposite in Nundle; a scar on the natural beauty that genuinely attracts visitors. Conserving the environment around Nundle should be an absolute priority.

Sure, Nundle could gain from more development, extra business and new community projects. But if it takes place without regard to the village’s special qualities and without the whole community’s blessing the losses will far outweigh the gains. The wind farm would generate an initial burst of money and jobs but that would soon disappear.

I have no doubt the ridge is the most cost-effective location, with easy access to sealed roads and proximity to the transmission grid. But in a region as large as New England, are there no other locations with dependable wind flow where a developer could turn a profit without compromising the livelihoods of unique villages? Are there no places where landholders would happily sell without the passionate objections of surrounding residents? This proposal seems an easy route for a big corporation at the expense of an established and historic community.

I support green energy but object to several aspects of this project.
See details in my attached file: HoG WF SUBMISSION - June Hooper.pdf

please see PDF attachment

I am a passionate supporter of renewable energy as a means of helping the environment. But as a regular visitor to Nundle, with a number of relatives and friends in the area, I completely understand the objections being expressed by so many residents. The proposed Hills of Gold Wind farm is an utterly inappropriate industrial development in a very special and fragile area. It threatens the environment more than it would contribute to benefitting it. There are many other locations where wind turbines could be built that would involve far less disruption, visual pollution and degradation. Nundle is a heritage town surrounded by exceptionally beautiful terrain. It is worth preserving, even at the cost of higher construction costs elsewhere.

I wish to start by saying that I oppose the construction of this wind farm immensely because i believe it to be the wrong location.
Nundle, Hanging Rock and the surrounding area from Timor stretching North to Walcha and as far East as Nowendoc, must be some of the most pristine country i have seen in my life. I am well traveled and having seen much of Australia and also overseas and i would say it would be hard to match a place so tranquil as Nundle. It is Nundles' secluded location the very reason I return here year after year with my family.
To construct a wind farm here would forever destroy local wildlife and it's natural surroundings where much of Australia's fauna can survive simply because it IS so secluded and it would be a tragedy and irresponsible if it were to proceed.
In addition, my concerns also lie with the health and safety of the residents of Nundle and the surrounding towns affected by this proposal. It is a well known fact that some people can be affected by turbines from a low frequency sound which can be detrimental to their health leading to severe headaches and migraines. Having these turbines located at such close proximity to the people of Nundle and the surrounding towns would also be irresponsible.
I sincerely believe that the location of this project is completely wrong and should not go ahead.
Thank you for reading my submission.

Please see my attached objection based on bushfire risk

I object to this application.
I am worried about the wedge tailed eagles. I regularly see 5 wedge tailed eagles on my property and surrounding areas. I am worried about water security. My farming property relies heavily on the creek and bore water. There is no guarantee that there won't be contamination or disruption from the project. The ambassadors for the project claim no proof of potential change therefore no proof it won't be affected in the future or compensation for loss of this resource. A loss of water supply in a country prone to constant severe prolonged droughts. It would affect hundreds of farms down the stream. The community has been greatly divided by this project, more visible as this was a small close knit community. One of the things that drew me to this place. Considering everything of late I am against a multi national company taking ownership of an asset based on Australian soil. One of Nundle's biggest income sources besides farming is tourism. Our roads aren't up to scratch for caravans and boats that visit our wonderful dams and camping areas let alone bigger heavier longer trucks that will be required to haul all the equipment. We will lose our tourism because travellers won't want to be on these long skinny winding potholed roads with such big machinery. No one wants to see the visual impact on our beautiful landscape. Our town can't afford to lose business.