MOD 1 - Revised Road Design

The road is a narrow goat track. Removing trees will help you see whats
coming. Safety to humans is paramount. Log overdue.

I use this road a lot for work and over the years have had near misses.
Trees need to be removed to improve sight. This is not a matter of
emotion, its a safety isssue. Regardless of a wind farm in the area,
this needs to be done asap.

i object to the modification on environmental grounds and the destruction
of the environment and critically endangered species that are on this
road

i object to the modification on environmental grounds and the destruction
of the environment and critically endangered species that are on this
road

Every bit of renewable energy is important to Australia's future. The
added feature of the improvement Road is a double bonus.
I would like to see more projects like this to return New South Wales
and Australia to the leading edge of renewable deployment and
development.

The developer has presented a misleading EIS for this modification
proposal. It evaluates supposed benefits of reducing the number of
turbines from 77 to 37. However, the Commonwealth Department of the
Environment has already restricted the wind farm to 37 turbines.
That's it, they are allowed no more. So, whatever changed
environmental impact statement will occur through the proposed
modification EIS compared to an existing 37 turbines. The developer
should be required to do its modification EIS compared solely to the
37 turbine wind farm as limited and approved by the Department of
Environment. It should be rejected until that is done.

It's time that Australia stopped contributing to the destruction of our
planet. Coal is NOT clean energy. Mining belongs in the dark ages.
There are pages upon pages of research showing this is true,
Using larger, more modern turbines increases the amount of clean
energy produced while reducing the impacts on bio-diversity, heritage,
visual, noise and traffic of the project. Total clearing of vegetation
for the project will reduce by 31 hectares.
A smaller project will provide clarity and certainty to the local
community regarding the scope of the project.
The upgrade to the main access road, Aarons Pass Road will be entirely
funded by the wind farm. It improves road condition, visibility,
drainage and passing opportunities, meets council's standards and will
be a legacy for the community for decades to come.

The local community will benefit in a number of ways including but not
exclusive to:
Construction of the project has been welcomed by large sections of the
Mudgee community, with large contracts being placed with local
companies along with recruitment of locals on the project;
Up to 240 people will be engaged during the construction period with a
large number from the local area;
Currently over 50% of contractors and employees are from the local
area.
To date $3 million of contracts have been awarded to local businesses
along with 45 employees now based in the Mudgee region contributing to
the economy through accommodation and retail spend;
Many local subcontractors have increased their staffing and invested
in new machinery off the back of the project;


An annual contribution of $168,000 will be made to a community fund
for local projects and initiatives, totally more than $4 million over
the 20-year life of the project.
Annual income will be paid to farmers hosting wind turbines, no matter
the weather or commodity prices.

I object to the submission because they are destroying the road and the
flora and fauna of the area and that is not what they have been stated
to do so.

It is vital for this planet to switch from fossil fuel use to renewables
asap. This wind farm will assist that process and as such would
probably enjoy the support of the clear majority of Australians who
support the urgent move away from fossil fuels.

I am whole-heartedly in favour of Aaron's Pass Road to be upgraded as
soon as possible to the standard required by Crudine Ridge Wind Farm
so that wind farm construction can take place without much more delay.

I would like to support the modification to Aaron's Pass Road. I am a
long-time resident of Pyramul.
I am in favour of improving the width and condition of Aaron's Pass
Road to improve safety on this road by widening, removing roadside
trees and improving the road surface.
Aaron's Pass Road has always been dangerous, due to (1) being narrow,
(2) being closely lined with trees, (3) having many shoulders of loose
gravel and (4) being corrugated. Accidents have occurred over the
years, due to these four reasons.
Each time there is heavy rain and/or windstorms, there are fallen
trees or branches, which often block the roadway, making it impassable
and requiring chain saws and tractors to clear the road.
Aaron's Pass Road is an important access road for residents of
Windeyer, Pyramul and Hargraves districts to go to Sydney or Lithgow
for medical appointments. Also, in recent years farmland in these
districts has been sold to Sydney residents, who use Aaron's Pass Road
to visit their farms and return to Sydney most weekends.
The proposed widening, with removal of trees and with an improved road
surface is most welcome and long overdue.

I have no financial intertest, in the Crudine Ridge Wind Farm. My family
owns grazing land on Aaron's Pass Road.
CWP has only permission to put in 37 wind towers from the Federal
Environment office so of course they don't have permission to build 77
on Crudine Ridge.
The proposal to clear fell 22 or so Km of environmentally sensitive
forest for a total 111 truck movements for their oversize blades is
ridiculous and just plain bloody minded. There is no guarantee as to
accuracy of this proposal, and that there will not be ongoing
modifications by stealth.
CWP should have been less greedy as to how much they felled initially
along Aaron's Pass Road, and chosen new blades that are not over long
for delivery over the existing terrain.
Why should the environment pay for CWP's miscalculations and bad
project management?
Do not widen Aarons Pass road as per their submission. Mid-Western
Council needs to repair the existing gravel road so there are less
potholes, and maybe tar it, to reduce dust, make it safer, and reduce
ongoing maintenance; in which case it should be suitable, with laybys,
for any heavy traffic bar the 111 overlong loads. I will make further
submissions at the PAC.

I object to the proposed modification to the Crudine Ridge wind farm near
Mudgee due to the major additional ecological harm that will be caused
to the area.
A new EIS needs to be undertaken if any modifications to the original
approval are to be wanted by the proponent. This proposal should be
rejected.

I do not have any financial interest in Crudine Ridge Wind Farm. I have
lived here, as a farmer and mother, at Pyramul for over 60 years and
own family land on Aaron's Pass Road- about 1,000 acres of grazing.
The Aaron's Pass Road needs better maintenance by Mid- Western Council
rather than widening to make it safer and suitable for heavy traffic.
There are always too many potholes and it regularly needs a topping of
road-base, which is the real problem. Should CWP do anything to the
road, it seems in the agreement that they have to leave it as they
found it: in poor condition.
We don't need a 3 lane dirt highway to nowhere for 111 overlong truck
loads. What good is it to anyone after they have finished? The trees
they remove will take at least 50 years to regrow in this soil and
climate. This modification proposal adds nothing to the local
community. CWP need to rethink the proposal and reduce their
expectations.
CWP only has permission for 37 wind towers from the Federal Government
which trumps state and local government approvals with their
application for 77, so they are really offering us nothing except
taking down our rare and endangered trees. This modification is just
sleight of hand, its all based on greed, and I do not trust them.

I object to the proposed modification to the Crudine Ridge Wind Farm
until the proponent lodges a formal modification for its intended
increase in turbine power and blade length. To increase or change the
turbine blades in length will cause major additional impacts on the
local ecological systems and the surrounding properties. Therefore a
new EIS needs to be undertaken and this modification should be
rejected. This decision should be put to the IPC for consent
conditions.

I do not have any financial interest in CWP or the Crudine Ridge
Windfarm. I am an architect planner and have lived here on Bindawalla
for at least 5 years although I visited here for years earlier and
have family in the vicinity. My partner, Ralph Price has lived here
all his life, as has his father Max and his grandfather Milton and so
on. We have history.

Putting on the Planner hat, it seems there is an increase in turbine
size and blade length by stealth and a breach in the original terms of
consent that now requires this modification. This indicates that the
original EIS was either false or misleading, otherwise why the
modification once underway?

If turbine capacity and blade length are increased, have there been
any studies undertaken on acoustic and environmental impacts, and if
not why not? Doesn't the Dept of Planning and Environment consider the
environment important in their planning?

The Federal approval for 37 towers in defined locations overcomes any
State authority to build more than that. CWP are not reducing any
impact by putting this in their modification to reduce the number of
towers from 77 to 37.

As to widening Aaron's pass road to facilitate only 111 truck
movements, while, in effect, clear felling White Box, Yellow Box,
Blakley's Red Gum Woodland, an Endangered Ecological Community of
which there is only 3% remaining of the original forest in the State:
the lack of benefit to the huge cost is ridiculous. Off-sets and
tube-stock will not replace the understory and animal inhabitants. In
this area it will take 50 years to regrow the trees, if ever. I have
not even mentioned the Koalas that inhabit this woodland- a threatened
species becoming more threatened by the year.

Here the main complaint about Aaron's Pass Road is the lack of regular
maintenance rather than the road width, which makes it unsafe. There
are, after all, another 2 road alternate accesses to Mudgee and the
Castlereagh Highway from Pyramul: via Grattai, or via Queen's Pinch
which is quicker. There are other more reasonable options open to CWP
rather than this latest proposal which seems to be concocted with no
more background reference than Google Earth. But then that is why they
are trying for this modification now, isn't it?

I will make further submission at the PAC.

Hello,
I was pleased to read about the planned Crude Ridge Wind Farm and
about the potential benefits of the larger turbine blades. I realise
there is a small number of people who believe wind turbines cause
illness but that there is no scientific proof to back it up.
So I'm encouraging you not to be swayed by negative views such as
these and to carefully asses the benefits of the larger blades and
those to the community in improved road infrastructure.
I believe we must promote, not hinder, the growth of all types of
renewable energy generation but, particularly, large scale c,
commercial development such as this one.
I will certainly be voting for renewable energy until we are 100%
green.
Regards,
Rob Shield

I don't like it in it's present format. CWP only have an approval for 37
towers, and although the Aaron's Pass Road definitely needs attention
this modification gives them too much license to do whatever they
like, without proper checks and balances.

I have no financial connection to CWP and own property on Aaron's Pass
Road.

I object to this Modification on environmental grounds. The prospective
damage to the immediate environment and surrounding areas has the
potential to be extremely significant. The information provided is not
able to guarantee the wellbeing of the environment. Until this is able
to be achieved, the project needs to be placed on hold.

Our world needs renewable energy, and all our people want to have cheaper
energy. Surely this indicates that solar, wind and wave power should
be used. We do not want coal or or fossil fuels. We do not want any
more mining. We do want our children and grandchildren to have a clean
and good world.