Paling Yards Wind Farm

I am opposed to the development of wind towers and windfarms in the Oberon area and surrounds my reasons are due to the following reasons:
- developers have stated that the noise will exceed regulated levels
- we do not have the road infostructure to cope with the excessive amounts of trucks coming into the area. all roads are single lane and are dirt roads with a small amount of tar on top, these roads do not hold up to the Borg trucks coming in and out of the town let alone the size and weight of the trucks you are proposing. we already have excessive traffic in the area as all roads are single lanes and locals are forever getting caught behind trucks delaying journeys and increasing travel times.
- the towers are unsightly and excessive in size
- they have admitted that these towers will be in excess of regulated noise levels.
- these are not environmentally friendly as they cannot be recycled once they reach their lifespan
- they are not environmentally friendly as thy use oil and electricity to get them moving
- wind farms are not going to assist the generation of green electricity and are not going to supply enough energy to power anything of significance
- Wind farms are not going to solve global warming as they create more waste, use more feul and toxic chemicals to make them work then they are worth
- this is a money grab by people who do not care about the community or the environmental impact that these will have in the area and in Australia.
- the greens and labour camp want to peruse this, they it in their own electorates e.g. Sydney CBD, western Sydney etc
- the central west should not be the dumping ground for things that the rest of the country dont want to look at.

I am objecting to the Wind Tower project at Paling Yards with the following points.

1. the increase in traffic for the construction is along the O'Connell road to Oberon and then onto Paling yards. Regardless of any road upgrade that is made so the tower components can be moved. Combined with large trucks that are already on that road, traffic delays whilst any upgrades are constructed, access to Bathurst and return will become a slow and tedious exercise in trying to stay safe. Locals in the Oberon area will be severely impacted by this as they commute to Bathurst or in reverse those living in Bathurst and working at Borg or any of the Pine processing factories will be impacted. Numbers of movements and timing of this need to be looked at.

2. The lubricants uses in the turbines is synthetic oil. Oil Leaks and oil splatter will end up in the water table, Abercrombie River and any other rivers and creeks that receive run off from this area. Being high country , water flows down hill, dams, creeks, rivers in catchment area will be affected. Where are the studies on the water catchment area this will affect?

3. Wildlife impact, bird strikes, habitat loss and as mentioned in 2 above, contaminated water.

4. Non renewable nature of all components used in the construction of the towers. Life span of 15 years or less for the blades alone. Where are these going to go when replaced?

5. Carcinogenic materials used in the construction of the blades, flakes off and left in soil. Adds to points 2 and 3 above. Has a study been done on this and are Paling Yards aware of this?.

6. Sun reflections, and glinting blades. What is the impact on vehicles travelling along Abercrombie road in the area?

7. Destruction of an area of natural beauty. The vistas of the Great Dividing Range, Abercrombie National Park and high country farm land will be destroyed. Locals and Visitors will no longer be able to enjoy one of our states high country scenic drives. The impact to tourism needs to be explored. Some of our small rural towns and farm stays rely on this tourism income.

8. Additional fire risk to the area. Add in the leaking oil and oil splatter and grassfires spreading into national parks and surrounding forestry areas and there is a disaster waiting to happen

They are just plain ugly, too tall, too many and unknown life span for project that will prove to be a waste of money. Shameless destruction in an area where they don't belong.

Regards,
Nicky Holbrook

The undertaking of this project has neglected to foresee or consider the impact to local traffic within these communities and therefore the negative impact to residents lives and livelihoods. Longer commutes for locals and existing businesses as well as tourists to an area that relies on tourism is not what any of us consider to be fair nor reasonable. NSW is a massive state and has plenty of other opportune areas within which these wind farms can be built. Forestry corp and NSW planning need to take a good long hard look at themselves and honestly think about whether or not they would like to live under these proposed conditions for the next two years, along with the noise that will exceed regulated levels (and has been admitted to doing so).

GREEN KILLINGMACHINES
The impact of renewable energy on wildlife and nature
Andrew Montford - GWPF Report 36
"Executive summary
Renewable energy has developed itself a reputation as being environmentally friendly. This report will show that this reputation is entirely undeserved. Far from improving the world around us, wind, solar, biomass and even hydropower can be highly damaging. A renewables revolution on the scale envisaged by global warming activists will see our landscapes desecrated, our fields industrialised or turned to monocultures, and our wildlife slaughtered.
Far from making the world a better place, renewable energy will destroy all we hold dear.
Is this really what environmentalism has come to mean?"
Report attached.

I am totally against wind farms in general ,but l am totally against them for health reasons .we know they are well known for health issues l have thing wrong in my head and this will just add to it .The carting of this equipment through our very small village will be damaging enough. I would much rather see more thought go into a plan that at least has good return .

I object to the project on the following three grounds:

- I am a resident of O'Connell NSW, and this project will impact all of the residents of O'Connell, yet no one in the O'Connell community was ever consulted about it.

- The transportation of wind turbine blades and components would require the trimming and cutting of the historical O'Connell ANZAC Memorial Avenue of Trees. These trees are a living war memorial of historical significance, and the Memorial Avenue and associated buildings are listed on the National Trust Register of Australia (NSW). The Memorial Avenue of Trees is registered on the list of war memorials in NSW and has state and national recognition. The Avenue of Trees is a key element within the O'Connell Conservation Area, and the predominant element of the cultural and physical landscape within the O'Connell Valley. The high branches of the towering mature trees of the living war memorial form an arch resembling a cathedral. This symbol of grandeur and honour is deeply significant to the community of O’Connell and district. Being a war memorial, damaging the O'Connell ANZAC Memorial Avenue of Trees simply just to transport wind turbines, would not only be despicable, it would also be an offence under section 8 (2) Summary Offences Act 1988 (NSW). I refer to previous reports undertaken by the NSW Roads & Traffic Authority (now called RMS), such as the 2007 Ozark Environmental & Heritage Management Report and Musecape 1999 report, as to the historical significance of the O'Connell Avenue of Trees. Previous attempts to widen the road, cut the historical trees, or change the speed limit through the Avenue (either by Council or RMS) were always thwarted by the historical significance of the O'Connell ANZAC Memorial Avenue of Trees.

- The closing of O'Connell Road (the main link between Bathurst and Oberon), for the numerous truck movements will severely impact all landholders, residents and absolutely everyone needing to travel between Bathurst and Oberon.

I thus object strongly to the Paling Yards Wind Farm project.

I totally object to the project.

It will cause irreversible damage to the environment, our way of life and to the Oberon community.

I have a farm on the Abercrombie Road in Oberon NSW 2787, this road is being overused now with hundreds of trucks of logs, gravel, livestock & manufactured goods going on it every day of the week.

I have major concerns about even more (hundreds of) trucks carrying bill amount of building materials for all the Paling Yards wind towers, this will cause damage to the already failing Abercrombie road & all the other local roads they have to come on.

I’ve also spent a lot of time enjoying nature in the area these towers are going, these towers are 100% going to impact all the fauna & flora around the very fragile & great Abercrombie River region, lots of beautiful rare animals & plants will be destroyed by these mammoth environment wrecking machines/wind towers that they propose !!

Environmentally these towers can’t be put in this area, wind towers are wrecking our beautiful Australian landscape. Total environmental destruction for a quick fix !!

There is much better & greener power sources out there in the world that will not be a environmental disaster now in the not too distant future when they need to be pulled down or left because it’s unviable to pull these down !!

The Abercrombie area has had a lot of very severe bushfires since I can remember, these wind towers will no doubt be burnt by a big Abercrombie bushfire if they go ahead, then if one of these wind towers do break down & catch alight (which has happened to a lot of them) then a vast ahead of our beautiful bush land & private properties will be burnt as well, another total environmental disaster !!

These wind towers 100% can’t go ahead !!

Regards
Adam Harvey
0438431072

I own rural property on the Abercrombie rd. We regularly use the road to move livestock and machinery on the road between our properties and the excess traffic will make this much more difficult and increase the risk of harm to our livestock and ourselves.
The proposed wind turbines will inhibit aerial firefighting efforts in the event of a bushfire in basically the only cleared area between the Abercrombie and Kanangra-Boyd national parks (and the Sydney water catchment). This not only increases the likelihood of a bush fire reaching our property but also of decimating significant areas of national parks and forestry.

I own property on the Abercrombie Road. The traffic is already bad enough on that road and I do not want excess traffic on that road

I object to having a wind farm in my backyard. Pollution from noise and view created by these monsters will devalue my property and affect my ability to peacefully farm and enjoy my property.
Send it off the coast as they have done in Europe placing generators close to major users.

I object to the Paling Yard proposed wind turbines. These proposed turbines will defeat the purpose of keeping Australia green and clean. The material sourced and used in the production of the turbines along with the transportation and erection process will cause more harm to the environment than other renewable energy productions.
The turbines are aesthetically unappealing and will be an eye saw to our beautiful Great Dividing Range which they will sit atop of.
The Oberon shire is known for it's farming and forest and should these turbines be allowed in our area they will impact on both vitally import productions. The forestry is at a high risk of fire and the fire control necessary will be hampered by the turbines as planes and other aircraft used to fight large forest fires will be severely hampered.
Property prices will be impacted as the beautiful views we currently are blessed with will be blotted with large grotesque blades.
There is no assurance that once erected the company will be the one that will remove them after their used by date.
The high volume of traffic that will be generated in the erection of these turbines on our country roads will place a huge risk to all road users. The roads already have a high road load with log trucks and the roads are not wide enough to cater for them.
The disruption of traffic and time wasted due to road impact.
We DO NOT this project in our area.

A 47 wind tower farm will be disastrous in the Oberon LGA and will negatively affect the health of residents and will impact the environment negatively. I do not want any renewable company having the social licence to come in and destroy the community and way of life. I object for the following reasons:
* Noise pollution from the turbines affecting the health of residents affecting everyone within a 10km distance from the turbine
* Wind turbine syndrome causing headaches, sleep problems, tinnitus etc from low frequency sounds. There is not enough research to suggest that they will NOT cause issues in humans.
* Birds and bats being injured or killed by the turbines contributing to the decline of species and exacerbating the human impact on animal species
* The nature of the turbine blades unable to be recycled and therefore contributing to land fill. THe carbon footprint associated with the production of the turbines.
* Affects weather. Some studies suggest that as the blades of the turbines turn to generate electricity, it also has inadvertent consequences. It creates a disturbance in the air that can have far-reaching effects on the environment. The turbulence created by wind turbines is known to warm up the surface temperature at night and cool it down during the day.
* Destruction of the local aesthetics, forests and natural greenery
* Increase in bushfire risk should a turbine catch fire.
* Leaking of lubricants polluting the land and Oberon waterways

I whole heartedly object to all wind towers in the region

Good afternoon,
I am a resident of Oberon and I am totally against the installation of giant wind towers in this beautiful town.
I am not against renewables and believe there is a place for them but not in Oberon or the surrounding areas. NSW is a large state with many areas where these towers can be built without affecting the welfare of people living in small rural towns.
There are too many reasons to mention why I object to the towers, here are some:
1- the project will ruin our town with massive flow of trucks carrying blades and towers to Oberon.
2- The towers will affect our way of life with noise and visual pollution.
3- The blades are very large and rotate at high speeds and the wind towers will have adverse impact on the environment and will harm and kill birds, bats ( protected species!!!)
4- The construction of these towers will disrupt the natural habitat of many species.

Please keep me informed.
Regards

Eugenia

The wind turbine projects that are arranged for my home town of Oberon in the central west are a monstrous nature which is also insulting manipulative and out right destructive. The following points have been ignored and like many other locals the believe to pushed aside and treated like second class citizens.
1.Damage and devaluation to properties
2.Damage to roads that are all ready need of repair
3.Damage to the environment and wildlife
4.Visual pollution
5.Lack of truthfully intentions
6.Loss of life style and culture
7. Threats to health from with of fires and noise from wind blades
8.Lack of responsibility in regards to when life span of wind turbines is done
will authority figures walk away and leave mess behind.
9.Neighbours being pitted against one a other.
10. Going with nuclear power-plants to go green and net zero with out harming other people with in the community
11. Damaging the trees on the road between Oberon and Bathurst that where planted for a memorial for ANZAC soldiers

Their is most likely more concerns from other residents and personally if find wind turbines insulting and offensive to my way of life and do not want anything of the sort being built in the country

I object to this as there will be traffic, environmental and economic impact, roadworks, pollution,all well as
These Transport implications will have an immediate affect on our way of life and a an impact to flora, fauna and nearby waterways.

Massively damaging to our environment and local community, not to mention a waste of money.

I object to this Electricity Generating Works proposal because I am not convinced it will ever result in cheaper electricity for us or others. Our electricity costs have already gone up four-fold in four years even before the latest 25% increase by the AER. Wind and solar electricity generation have increased significantly over the same period. Conclusion, as discovered by others around the world: more wind and solar equals increasingly higher energy bills.

I oppose this project because the supply chain involves the use of slave labour. Cobalt and copper artisanal mining relies in slave labour in the DRC and the production of components in China uses slave labour. Stop these degrading projects.

I oppose this project because it is very unlikely that the decommissioning, removal and land rehabilitation will occur due to the exorbitant cost that will be involved. The cost in 20 years or so time will likely exceed today's cost to build the project. Unlike mining companies there is no requirement for this developer to lodge a bond to cover this future cost. Who will ultimately pay? The new owner of the plant, the host landholders, the local ratepayers or the State and/or Federal governments. The project must not be approved unless such a bond is in place.

SOS objects to both the wind works and BESS works components of the proposal. Each is covered in a separate attachment.