Junction Rivers Wind Farm (formerly Burrawong Wind Farm)

My genuine concerns regarding wind farms

1 Health and wellbeing also safety impacts to the community and environment
2 Impacts on very precious water supply
3 Impacts on farming in this small community eg Agriculture and food production
4 Environmental Impacts to Protected Bird and Wildlife

Regent Parrot
Threatened species located in close proximity to water within 20km of mallee
Foraging habitat. Moving and feeding between nesting areas. They rely on
Important corridors along river frontages and paddocks with trees .

Major Mitchell Cockatoo
Ring Neck Parrot
Eastern Rosella
Just to name a few , all threatened, due to changes of habitat in area .
E.g massive loss of grain farming and grazing properties

5 Noise impact
6 Uncontrollable spread of sprays , used for weed control in cropping and food production
7 MAJOR fire risk
8 Visual impact on properties
9 Community division
10 Threats to national security
11 Throwing money away, on a few small money makers, that just isn’t working using tax payers money effectively
Questions
1. What happens to the expired wind towers when they are out of service
2. Where are they disposed of
3. Who are the investors
4. What are their obligations to costs and longevity of the turbines
5. What happens if the investors go broke
6. Who picks up the outstanding obligations and dollars
7. Can a farmer on sell his land before the contract expires
8. Does the investor have any say in the sale of the farm

These are my true and very genuine concerns regarding wind farms.

There are many other areas that can be utilised that will cause less disruption.

Inappropriate in this location noting negative impact on environment and detrimental to farming land

You can't save the environment by destroying the environment.

I disagree with a wind farm due to concerns about visual impact, noise, potential harm to wildlife, and the alteration of local landscapes. I also argue that the land use might not be justified by the energy benefits, or and I also have concerns about the efficiency and sustainability of the technology use within the wind farm.

Please refer to the attached letter.

I am objecting to this project because I will be working within less than 2 km and i also think think there will to much noise and it will affect the satellites that we use for our tractors

I blatantly object to this project because of the impact it will cause to the environment, our country towns and our community.
There will be untold damage caused to our local roads and highways to transport these mamoth structures from all over Australia. Infrastructure,over 60 year old trees and large road islands will be demolished in Balranald so the trucks can cross over the bridges to reach its destination site.
You sprook of employment opportunities for locals, when this material and work will be outsourced. The way I see, there is NO benefit to our small town communities.
Then, the question has to be asked... WE ALL KNOW WIND TURBINES BLADES CAN'T BE RECYCLED, SO, in 25-30 years time when these 300m high, 100 m blade wind turbines get decommisioned, our beautiful town becomes the land fill site and dumping ground for these structures.
FOR THESE REASONS, I want to keep our TOWNS WINDTURBINE FREE!

As a working member of the local community that this project intends to build this infrastructure, I have to object. It seems as though it will affect many values of the local community weather it be people or land. I would most be concerned about wildlife as it must have an affect on their lifestyles. weather it be due to noise from the infrastructure or physical damage to animals such as birds or be contaminates from the turbines as they degrade with age

I would like to formally submit my objection to the Junction Rivers Wind Farm proposal due to the negative social impacts on the local community and the inevitable ripple effect on neighbouring communities.

I work as a Registered Nurse at a Health Service outlined to potentially have a “high” negative impact from the proposed wind farm development. I have broad experience in health care across the lifespan ranging from paediatrics to aged care encompassing acute, chronic and mental health care. After reading the ‘Social Impact Assessment’ my objection to the proposal stems from the following.

Outlined in section 4.1 the key stakeholders are identified and range from the host landowners right through to State/Federal Government, with all referencing either direct or indirect concerns about health and safety if the proposal were to be implemented. The document then addresses the project refinements because of the stakeholder engagement, however with no mention of refinements addressing health and safety concerns. Frankly there appeared to be more consideration given to habitat, wildlife and aesthetics than what is given for human health and wellbeing.

Secondary to this it was identified that within the Murray River LGA, that Yanga SAL, Kyalite SAL and Moolpa SAL (the immediate social locality of the proposal) are categorised within the fourth percentile (disadvantaged) of the IRSAD index of the SEIFA, classing them as a vulnerable population. As per the document vulnerability refers to an individual or groups “capacity to adapt to, or cope with changes in their environment” of which could directly impact both the physical and mental health of the community within the immediate social locality of this proposal.

If the health and wellbeing of the community is negatively affected this will have a direct increase in demand placed on surrounding health services. Additionally, the assessment also highlighted an indirect impact on health services as “of the employed people in the Murray River LGA, the top industries of employment were hospitals”. Therefore, if individual health and wellbeing is affected by the proposed wind farm this could not only create external pressure and demand on health services, but it could also present significant consequences internally on staffing and service provision. Keeping in mind the cumulative effect this can have as the New South Wales and Victorian Health Care systems are already facing significant pressures with budget cuts, availability of health care professionals (especially in rural and remote areas), increasing population age and illness and not to mention the ongoing recovery efforts following the global COVID-19 pandemic.

This impact on health services has been measured within the assessment as “high” with the likelihood as “possible” and magnitude “major” pre-mitigation/enhancement. Then the proposal outlines the following mitigation measures;
- Continue to engage with Murray River Council, Balranald Shire Council, and Swan Hill City Council to understand pressures experienced across the social locality in relation to worker influx and local resources
- Ongoing engagement with relevant health and emergency services
- Develop and implement a SEP (stakeholder engagement plan)
- Develop and implement a grievance mechanism to ensure that concerns/complaints raised by stakeholders are identified and acted upon.

From these above mitigation measures the threat of impact has been downgraded to “medium” again with a “possible” likelihood and “moderate” magnitude. I however, would like to point out that within these mitigation measures there is no current plan in place for when the negative impact begins to affect our local health services. Only fostering communications of the issues without proposals and forward planning of solutions to mitigate these threats. As there is no action plan, I cannot see how the fostering of communication of issues can possibly reduce the risk to “moderate” from it previously measured “high”.

Within the development assessment some health concerns have been briefly addressed. Those being infrasound and electromagnetic frequency emissions. The proposal strategically addresses compliance with standards and guidelines, however strongly shy's away from directly addressing the original concerns around the short and/or long term effects on health to put the community's mind at ease. There was no mention of evidence-based research or data into the safety of health or consideration to mental health as this is equally as important when addressing ‘health concerns’. It also contradicts previous comments as the intensity of “perceived health impacts” is rated as “low” due to “no vulnerable groups were identified as being impacted” however the immediate social locality to the proposal was deemed earlier in the document as “vulnerable”.

Finally, the outlined cumulative impact speaks for itself regarding the impact on health services. Pre mitigation measures are deemed as “high” risk and even following the mitigation measures and enhancements the risk remained “high”. For these reasons I cannot support the wind farm proposal and as a Registered Nurse, l I fear for the health and safety of our community if this proceeds. I work across both inpatient settings as well as community settings and have had been witness to the effects mental health can have on physical health whilst also in reverse the effects physical health can have on mental health and what that can do to individuals, families and communities as a whole. I see firsthand the current lack of reach from health services into these areas and the damaging effects this can have, and I do not want to see this enhanced further by this proposed wind farm.

Environmental impact

* Wind turbines could have an impact on birds through collision, disturbance or habitat damage. We have protected birds in the area that hunt rabbits and mice etc - Decrease of birds means increase of vermin (which can become very easily out of control)
* Accelerating drought in already dry areas
* The noise of the turbines when moving
* Tourism - A lot of people come to the area camping / holidaying for the tranquillity - no tranquillity listening to the turbines - Tourism may become lesser - small businesses rely on tourism
* Who is responsible of when the turbines start a fire damaging other people's houses and crops - this is something that could make other farmers go bankrupt - who is responsible if insurance companies will not insure against a wind farm
* Aerial spraying - Making it harder and more expensive for the farmer as aviators do not want to fly near wind farms
* Wind turbines can create electromagnetic interference (EMI) to TV and radio transmissions, microwave transmissions, mobile phones, and radar. - We are in a very bad area for service of mobiles, internet etc. We DO NOT have the luxury of having NBN etc so mainly rely on satellite - Would be impossible to run any business without internet working properly

I object to the Junction Rivers Wind Farm project not only because of the negative impacts on neighbouring farms and communities but also due to wind turbines being placed in locations such as the proposed as it may never produce enough energy to compensate for the amount of fossil fuel used in the manufacturing and installation of the project.

The material requirements for a wind turbine include steel, concrete, fiberglass and copper. All components of a wind turbine are produced from rare earth minerals which require heavy machinery and energy intensive operations in order to extract the minerals from the earth. Wind turbines require thousands of tonnes of steel. Through the process of converting iron ore into steel, furnaces are used that are powered by coal and gas, which are extracted from the ground with diesel powered heavy equipment therefore at all levels producing carbon emissions. The iron ore is transported using large ships, trains and trucks relying on diesel yet again to power the transportation of the minerals to produce wind turbine components.

Many components of wind turbines are made from epoxy or polyester which are byproducts of petroleum, the gearbox’s require hundreds of liters of oil which needs changing at regular intervals over its life and the concrete used in the base is made using kilns which is another process emitting greenhouse gasses.

Therefore, due to this information I am opposed to the project as I believe that it may use more energy in the process of construction than the energy that the turbines will create while at the same time compromising prime agricultural land in the process.

Please find attached our objection to Junction Rivers Wind Farm.
I have also attached some photos, video and documents.
I would also like to draw attention to Appendix 19 Table 5; Analysis, 5.1 Assumptions, where it clearly states the study is DESKTOP ONLY.
With NO GUARANTEE that communications will not be affected, it is very concerning in the case of an emergency, for obvious reasons. Not to mention the reliance upon GPS to operate our machinery safely and efficiently.

I object to this project due to the long term negative impacts on my family, friends and the wider Kyalite community. Already the project has caused tension within the small, tight knit community, with some relationships irreparable after decades of friendships. Those who live in the area will be at risk of communication issues with internet and service impacts, noise disturbance and increased bushfire risk and more. The neighbouring farming community, land will decrease in value, putting our future generations of farming at risk. I believe the process of project leaders talking to the local community to be deceitful, with people being told different things to try and gain their support and quiet. Before it has even begun, it has been a shamble of a project and will continue to tear a country community apart.

Why does our community have to be responsible for supplying yet, another renewable energy project?
Hasn't the government already repossed far too much farming/cropping land in our area.
#Land taken & sold to build "Yanga National Park" - families, farms & jobs LOST!
#Thousands of hecs of farming land rezoned and sold for water! LOST contract farm work, headers, trucks, shearing, crutching just to name a few.
#Cropping farm Land sold to Renewable energy Limondale Solar pannel farm and Sunraysia Solar farm! Once again families moved on and jobs lost. For what I ask? When the Sunraysia Solar farm does NOT WORK!
It is still not connected to the substation to produce energy and is 1/4 of the way used its shelf life.
I work hard to make a living, I pay my taxes! But the absolute waste of government money and lack of accountability or proof that we are getting value for our taxpayer money leaves me to wonder why we would be agreeable to a 96, 300m high, 100m blade Windturbine factory being erected in our community. Then the question remains..
Can the wind turbines connect to the grid?
The new unfinished transmission line being built, is already outdated and the capacity to accomodate the projected power to be produced by the windturbines will not be suffice, so i have to ask, WHY BOTHER SPENDING THE MONEY!!!
Please think this project through, we a re a small town, but we are passionate to see our community survive and prosper to the benefit of all. Let the farmers do what they are supposed to do.... That is " FEED THE WORLD"

Objection due to impact on farming community, negative aesthetic impact all leading to conflict between community members

Please find our attached opposing letter for the proposed Wind farm in Kyalite.

Environmental impact

I object. Too many future disasters will result due to these projects, and our next generations will be paying for our mistakes.