Pottinger Wind Farm

Pottinger Wind Electricity Generating Works + BESS has no social licence as it is a horrible, dangerous, extremely toxic, unhealthy & totally useless plan that is a complete waste of public money as it will never provide secure, reliable, affordable power.

Pottinger’s Wind + BESS is a despicable, diabolical plan designed to rip off the Australian public with CONtrolling Energy Poverty.
Nobody in their right mind would rely on the weather for their Electricity Grid & wreck our children’s future by making Australia weak - beholden to the CCP - our most hostile enemy!

I object to the Pottinger Wind Proposal SSD-59235464 for the following reasons:
1. Fire risk posed by wind turbines appears to be significant, making them inappropriate for the Australian landscape.
2. Adverse impacts on flora and fauna. A number of wetlands and riparian zones on the site will be affected, and the site is home to the critically endangered plains wanderer.
3. Adverse impacts on the community, neighbouring properties and the landscape.
4. Distance of the proposed site from where the resulting power is to be consumed, resulting in lengthy, disruptive transmission lines and transmission losses.
5. Carbon footprint/embodied energy of the huge wind turbines - there is a lack of transparency around the calculation of this important measure, leaving doubt as to whether wind turbines actually constitute renewable energy.
6. Relatively short useful life of wind turbines and concerns as to the cost of dismantling these gigantic structures and the environmental pollution that may result in the process.

I object to the obscene proliferation of environmental hazards, which are in no way green. Tonnes upon tonnes of steel and concrete, including composite toxic materials that degrade over time transported on our country roads by thousands diesel trucks, destroying our roads....no you are not going to fix them you are just going to do more damage to our environment. The increased fire risk, the devaluation of properties, the increased liability to land owners, the inefficiency of wind power, the toxic environmental damage, the destruction of our native species habitat especially our magnificent Wedge Tail Eagles, and many other reasons. Biggest one of all the numbers do not crunch favourably, it is just a romanticised green (not) fantasy. We do not want to be left with these inefficient obscene money laundering monstrosities in our back yard.

I live south Victoria. I see turbine everyday.
I heard from about the noise.
We need to consider Nuclear energy generation for us

This is a wonderful renewable Australian owned project. One of the few in the South-West Renewable Energy Zone.
The Company has done an amazing job in engaging and educating the local community about the benefits of this project with local farmers agreeing to host the wind farms.
The wind farm will contribute towards meeting our energy targets. It will also be a great benefit to the local community by offering employment and economic benefits for the local area. I am totally agreeable to this project.

I support the development of new renewable energy and the Pottinger wind farm is well placed to provide electricity to NSW, Vic and SA with minimal impact on farming businesses or local communities. The employment generated by the Pottinger wind farm is going to provide a significant boost to the economy of Hay and the local region.

I object to this rush to unrealistic RE.
I don’t think it should be on Ag land.
Put it in the desert. No people, property , animals to displace.

What happens to all the blades when they need replacement. This is an enormous amount of turbines,With 3 blade each. 247 turbines that amount is huge, 749 blades.

I’m supporting Australian owned project with strong community benefits proposed.

To Whom it may concern,

I am writing in support of the Pottinger Wind Farm.

Living in the Booroorban district I support renewables and think this area is very suitable. I have followed all of the proposed renewable developments in the area, I have attended many of the Community engagement meetings. I attended the Pottinger Community engagement opportunity at Deniliquin and was particularly impressed with the Pottinger development team and their thorough communication and effort to engage the Community.
I am a rate payer in the Edward River Council and I think it is important the Edward River and Hay Council can both benefit Financially from renewable projects, the fact the Pottinger project is committed to providing significant funds to each Council due to its position in both Councils is a big win for Deniliquin.
Due to the Pottinger Wind Farm location being more further South then other projects and closer proximity to Deniliquin, the Deniliquin community will have a better opportunity to financially benefit in the construction and ongoing skill and supplies needed.

Thanks for the opportunity to contribute.

Hi,
As a Host land holder of the proposed Pottinger Wind Farm my young family is proud and brave to put our land forward to host such an important part of National infrastructure that will contribute to the local and the wider communities transition to renewable energy production. Our inter generational farming operation has been focused on sustainable land management for generations with the objective to leave the land in a better state tomorrow than it is today.

The South West REZ is a unique area with exceptional wind resources, large land holdings and farming practices which will be impacted minimally throughout the operation life of a Wind Farm.
The Pottinger Wind Warm site is a unique site within the SW REZ in its suitability to host a wind farm for a number of reasons.

16 Year EIS;
The Pottinger EIS in our view was conducted with precision and care over the 24 month process. On our Property 'Wargam' the host area for the Southern section of Pottinger Wind Farm we have added a valuable layer of environmental protection to the project over the last 16 years. We have identified the environmentally valuable areas over this time and had these protected on title which ensure these areas have been excluded from the development footprint, this area is in excess of 3000 hectares or 10% of the Property. Additionally the EIS has also identified small areas of environmentally and culturally valued areas not already protected which we will investigate protecting and enhancing for future generations.

Family Farms;
All hosting landholders are inter generational farming operations with long standing community respect and leadership in modern farming methods. As Landholders we are very aware how we need to change and adapt farming practices to ensure our future generations will have farms to farm in the future. The opportunity to host a wind farm will add resilience to our farms and the community and play a part in achieving NSW and the National targets in reducing emissions by the 2030 and beyond targets.

The set back;
The Pottinger Wind Farm is set well back greater than 10km from the eye along the Cobb Highway. The car window along the Cobb Highway is the viewing deck for the unique Hay Plains. The setback of the Pottinger wind farm is positioned uniquely to avoid interrupting this nationally renowned route.

We are Australian;
The Pottinger Wind Farm is uniquely Australian from the Landholders through to the developers. We are proud to be involved with the two developers behind the Pottinger wind farm. The NSW local Someva development crew who are recognised in the industry for their attention to detail and long term view on projects, partnered with the oldest company listed on the ASX, AGL. Knowing we all own some of AGL through our super funds is rewarding watching their renewables operating team work through the Pottinger project. These two companies fit well with our inter generational farming philosophies and are a big part of why this project offers a unique and cohesive path forward between all the interested parties involved in the Pottinger wind farm.
Thanks and Regards
Will Hooke
Wargam Booroorban

This project is an environmental and agricultural disaster.

While Taronga Zoo in Dubbo has a program to breed and preserve the critically endangered Plains Wanderer, this developer will destroy Plains-Wanderer habitat. In May 2023, 19 critically endangered Plains-wanderers were released onto farmland in the Hay Plains. Now this project and the cumulative impact of all the other projects in this area will seriously and irreversibly impact on the Plains-Wanderer habitat. Along with the Pink Cockatoo and Southern Bell Frog, the Plains-Wanderer will be driven to extinction.

Given the cumulative impacts of the multiple solar, wind, battery and transmission lines in this community the native wildlife won't be the only ones driven from their homes. The social impact of industrialising this environment has not been adequately addressed. Land owners will find their land is devalued and their homes are unlivable.

The watercourses within this site and the sites of the neighbouring projects will be irreversibly damaged. Has the community been informed about the total water usage during the overlapping construction period of all the projects in the SW REZ? Has the community been provided with a map showing each project's land area?

Destroying lakes and associated wetland ecosystems to build an intermittent power plant is not for the greater good. The unrecyclable waste and the vast volumes of cement required for this monstrosity will ensure agricultural and environmental disaster.

1) The term renewable power is incorrect and misleading due to it referring to self-renewing and freely available sunshine and wind, while in fact the electricity generated requires the original construction of solar panels, wind turbines and power lines, and these need to be regularly maintained, and the panels and turbines eventually demolished and replaced at least every 20-35 years.

The electricity being generated is obviously not self-renewing or freely available as the term ‘renewable’ implies.

2) The panels, turbines and power lines associated with the electricity generation despoil the landscape.

3) The panels, turbines and power lines associated with the electricity generation decimate the productivity of the associated land, causing a decline in the creation of wealth and prosperity of the people in the Hay area.

4) The many proponents of these behemoths live mainly in the urban areas of Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong, and refuse to have them constructed in their own backyard, but instead construct them in ours. This is an abuse of authority.

5) The great quantity and cost of material and construction required to install the panels, turbines and power lines exceeds the quantity of material and cost required for the existing electricity supply.

6) There is no advertised method or place of disposal of the panels and turbines when they are eventually demolished. This lack of knowledge is unsatisfactory.

7) The subsidizing of the cost of the so called renewable electricity by the cost added to the existing electricity supply is adding greatly to the cost of all electricity. This greater cost is reducing the ability of all people in NSW to prosper. In many cases it is reducing the ability of people to heat their homes. The cost of this electricity is reducing the prosperity of all people in NSW, and is many cases, is impoverishing them.

8) The premise for the need to replace the existing electricity supply is not supported by evidence.

The premise consists of numerous factors, the most obvious being:

a) The world’s temperature is increasing catastrophically.

b) The world’s climate is changing catastrophically.

c) The world’s temperature is increasing, and the climate changing due to an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

d) The increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is caused by Man’s burning of carbon based fuels such as coal and oil.

e) The burning of carbon based fuel in Australia must stop in order to save both the Earth and all life on Earth.

The factors constructing the premise are not convincingly supported by evidence. There is in fact much evidence provided by numerous eminent professionals that indicates, if not proving conclusively, that the factors listed above are false.

The claimed evidence supporting the premise appears to consist mainly of regular repetition of the premise’ factors in the urban media in the hope, if not with the intention, that they will be eventually perceived as fact. The premise relies on repetition rather that evidence and substantiation.

There is a different standard applied to other countries considering that Australian coal is copiously mined in Australia and exported to many and any other country in the world for burning over there.

9) There have been many predictions of temperature and climate disaster made by proponents of such projects that have failed to occur in any semblance of their description.

I note and request that:

1) The installation of the proposed solar panels, wind turbines and associated power pole and lines is not justified or desired.

2) A moratorium be placed on the installation of the proposed project.

3) The existing method of electricity generation and supply be retained entirely.

4) A NSW State Government funded enquiry be conducted by professionals both in support of and opposed to the proposed project.

This enquiry to include:

a) the investigation of the justification i.e. premise, for the project.

b) investigating the existing method of electricity generation and supply

c) Investigate the proposed electricity generation method

d) investigate alternative methods of electricity generation such as using nuclear, gas and hydrogen fuel.

5) Assuming and confident that the requested enquiry will justify our desires, the Riverina State Group demands that at the end of the moratorium the proposed project be discontinued and any existing construction be demolished.

Yours Sincerely

David Landini

I believe that renewable energy is the direction that the Australian people need to go and for too long , politics has been holding back the development. I have travelled broadly overseas and have viewed such projects and the impact is negligble.
Now that we have 9 grandchildren we see that the world is becoming more fragile and natural means for producing power is the obvious way to go.
I have been following this project as I have family who live nearby. This company seems to be an honest Aussie company. We have accounts with AGL and think that their partnership is a positive move.

Careful consultation has been undertaken with local farmers, community and aboriginal leaders.
Project will be completed as ethically as possible
More renewable energy projects such as this are necessary
The location is very appropriate

I think that the Pottinger wind farm is well located to provide power for SA, NSW and Vic through the PEC and VNI West. I have reviewed the proposed community benefits fund and am of the view that this is an exciting opportunity for the region.

This project will devastate the area. The cumulative impact is not quantified by anyone. We need to see a map of the total land area that these so called "renewable" energy projects will irreversibly impact. There is no social license for this project the only beneficiary will be the developer. This is not for the greater good this is an environmental and agricultural disaster.

This amount of cement, water and unrecyclable components that are proposed for this project will devastate the natural environment. The entire so called SW REZ will become uninhabitable for the people and the native wildlife. The land owners who have willingly signed up to this disaster will find their homes unlivable, their land unsaleable and at the end of the day any money they have made from this monstrosity will be required to attempt to rehabilitate the land.

Stop destroying our environment for intermittent energy projects.

love the entire idea.
Someva renewables have thought of everything.
They have partnered with the local community with strong community benefits.
They are Australian owned!

CWO REZist opposes the industrial wind project "Pottinger".

Industrial wind turbines will never provide baseload power that our country needs, therefore the "project need" is redundant.

The residents of the SW REZ were not properly consulted regarding being placed in a renewable energy zone which result in their whole district being substantially changed from rural to industrial, as has been admitted by Energy Co in the CWO REZ.

Wind turbines are not "ecologically sustainable". Consideration needs to be given to mining for metal and materials, manufacturing, shipping and transport, clearing of land, blasting, underground cabling, high voltage transmission infrastructure, maintenance, decommissioning and recycling.

The location of this project is too close to Oolambeyan National Park and Booroorban State Forest. Fauna does not respect boundaries and will likely result in high numbers of avian fauna deaths by blade strike. The cumulative effect from multiple wind projects in the district also has to be considered.

The lengthy construction period of 55 months will heavily impact local residents and mitigation for almost 5 years will be insufficient given the extended period of negative impacts from increased workers, increased traffic, OSOM trucks etc.

The proponent has only considered the cumulative impacts of developments up to 25km away. The cumulative effects needs to be considered for the whole REZ including future (not approved) projects.

No groundwater or aquifer access should be allowed.

Decommissioning and rehabilitation needs further data and actual responsibility for these needs to be guaranteed by the proponent with FULL rehabilitation, including removing of underground infrastructure undertaken.