Hills of Gold Wind Farm.

I wish to lodge a submission regarding abovenamed major project and am having problems creating an account because the website is not responding. As the closing date for submissions is today I wish to lodge my objection to this proposal for environmental vandalism. When the project was originally mooted the developers said if there was sufficient opposition from the community they would abandon the proposal. Apart from being a gigantic eyesore on a magnificent rural landscape and affecting Nundle's tourism industry, Wind Turbines are useless if the wind is not blowing! They are also detrimental to the environment when discarded as they are made from non biodegradable materials. I urge your department to oppose this application on behalf of the people of Nundle and all the citizens of NSW who wish to keep their beautiful rural landscapes as nature created them.

I am opposed to the development of a wind farm in the Nundle, Hanging Rock and Crawney area because I believe the pain caused to the local natural environment and the lives of the residents in the construction phase far outweighs the gain, either economic or environmental, once completed. I believe there are more suitable areas for building a windfarm where access is easier, the community may comparatively be more supportive and native fauna and flora are not affected.

There is evidence of land clearing already under way in the proposed area along the top of the ridge. The hill I call the “Flat Top Hill”, to the east of Crawney Pass and which can be seen as far away as Tamworth, was densely vegetated a few years ago. The trees have been thinned so much along its top recently that, looking from the Crawney Road, you can now see the sky through the trunks to the other side.

When flying from Tamworth to Sydney you notice the top of the ridge line from Crawney Pass to Hanging Rock has been cleared extensively, as well as the associated hillsides. Of course a developer is going to look at that and think, “What a perfect place to put wind towers along that ridge. It’s already cleared and an access road can easily be built”. It makes you think the landowner is clearing it with the view to handing it over all neat and tidy to the developer.

A developer, however, is only interested in economic gain and does not take into account the division the local community is experiencing upon hearing of the proposed development. The clash of beliefs is evident within community groups, retail businesses, services such as the school and clubs, and unfortunately friendship groups as well. It’s hard to remember what side people are on and it’s easy to slip up and cause offence. This is not a nice way to conduct a social life in such a small town that once prided itself on its strong community spirit.

Today, tourists driving into Nundle can’t help but see that it is a town divided. Signs saying “Preserve the Hills of Gold” up one end of town and others saying “I love green energy” down the other give an effect of local civil war.

Having read the assessment reports on the proposed routes for transporting the blades I realised how much work will need to be done to prepare the route. It is astounding to think that people will be asked to sacrifice part of their privately owned, productive land or a whole section of their front yard so that the blades can be carried past.

The proposed routes all require some adjustment to roadways and clearing of vegetation, especially if Devil’s Elbow on the Barry Road is bypassed. I am opposed to any unnecessary clearing of established woodland to improve access because of the loss of habitat of native species.

The preparation of the route and the transporting of the blades and components will be an inconvenience of huge proportions to the local people. Every Nundle resident has to drive to Tamworth at some point for goods and services and so every Nundle resident will be affected. Many people who live in Nundle work in Tamworth or Quirindi and spend many hours travelling to and from their jobs. Driving behind a long or wide vehicle without being able to overtake can cause drivers to take risks, making our local roads dangerous and unpredictable. Emergency vehicle access will also be impeded, which can cause general anxiety in a population largely made up of older people.

I requested Wind Energy Partners (at their pop-up display room last Spring) to show me an example of the transmission line and towers that will be used to transport electricity to the substation. They were not able to show me what the towers would look like, which I found astounding as so many of them will need to be erected across the local area. I would still like to see what these towers will look like.

I feel there will be so much destruction of natural vegetation in an area that has so much natural beauty and special attributes. The high-altitude snow gums and woodlands will be destroyed. Native animals will not be able to traverse from one side of the ridge to the other in safety. There is less and less natural forest remaining in Australia. Is there no limit to what humans will do to get what they want?

I also feel this project has been thrust upon the community largely by one family which stands to benefit financially over any other person. The land already cleared for the wind tower sites, the proposed purchase of neighbouring properties to create an easement for transmission lines and the pressure put upon individuals to support the project publicly has made me feel very ill at ease. This is why I cannot support the project as proposed.

Response attached