Pottinger Wind Farm

We support the project and my organisation, Shamrock Civil Engineering, would like to be involved in the construction of this project. Australia is the perfect environment for renewable energy projects.

The disposal of these materials poses a serious environmental challenge.
Additionally, the potential for hazardous substances, such as Heavy metals and glass, to contaminate the environment during decommissioning is high.
I urge you to consider these long-term environmental impacts and reject this development.
Sincerely
Kaylem Hartley

Large scale wind and BESS are damaging to the environment, agriculture and community.
There is no social license for either infrastructure aside from hosts.
Both destroy habitats and in the case of wind, adversely impact bird life. In this area the plains wanderer is of particular concern.
Such projects should not come at the expense of food and fibre - which is rich in this area.
Firefighting risks and the risks of flooding and damage to the waterways in this area is concerning.

I am writing to express my support for the Pottinger Wind Farm. I have regularly visited and also worked on farms in the area. I believe this is an important project that provides diversification of income streams and improved drought resilience for farmers, and the communities that rely on their sustained prosperity.
Having reviewed the relevant options within the SW REZ I feel the Pottinger Wind Farm is most suitable as it is set approximately 10 km back from the Cobb Highway and will only have a minimal visual impact on this key tourist scenic route.
Further, I believe that benefits derived from the project should flow primarily to the local community via local family-owned landholders rather than land held as a corporate and/or foreign owned asset. The Pottinger Wind Farm ensures the former.

I object to this project, please see attached.

I am writing to express significant concerns regarding the proposed Pottinger Wind Electricity Generating Works, planned for development on a site encompassing 26,400 hectares of RU1 Primary Production Land in Booroorban. I must highlight several critical issues that warrant careful reconsideration and mitigation and refusal of the project that involves 247 turbines and a substantial Battery Energy Storage System

Environmental Impact on Sensitive Ecosystems:
The project area, situated on the Riverine Plain within the Murray Basin's eastern geomorphic subdivision, hosts several lakes and wetland ecosystems. These areas are vital for numerous species, including the critically endangered Plains Wanderer. The construction and operation of 247 turbines, each towering up to 280 meters in height, pose a significant threat to these sensitive habitats. The disturbance caused by infrastructure development, increased human activity, and the alteration of natural landscapes could irreversibly disrupt local biodiversity and ecological balance. Measures must be implemented to mitigate these impacts effectively., ideally outright refusal of the proposal.

Watercourse Disturbance and Hydrological Concerns:
The presence of Nyangay Creek, Coleambally Outfall Drain, and Eurolie Creek within the project site introduces additional concerns. These watercourses are integral components of the Murrumbidgee Catchment, supporting diverse aquatic and riparian ecosystems. The project's footprint and associated infrastructure could lead to altered hydrological patterns, increased sedimentation, and potential contamination from construction activities. Such disruptions threaten water quality and the overall health of these vital water bodies. Robust safeguards and monitoring protocols must be enforced to prevent adverse effects on water resources and associated flora and fauna. There must be a condition of any future consent that turbine blades used are BPA free.

Agricultural Land Use and Productivity:
The proposed development will impact extensive agricultural lands currently utilised for sheep breeding, cattle grazing, and limited cropping and horticulture. These activities contribute significantly to regional food production and economic sustainability. The conversion of productive agricultural land to industrial use raises concerns about food security, rural livelihoods, and the long-term viability of farming practices in the region. Comprehensive assessments of agricultural impacts, including soil degradation, nutrient runoff, and land use conflicts, must be conducted to ensure minimal disruption to existing farming operations and livelihoods.

Cumulative Impacts and Community Well-being:
Finally, the cumulative impacts of the Pottinger Wind Electricity Generating Works on local communities cannot be overlooked. While renewable energy development is essential, the proposed scale and location of this project require careful consideration of community concerns, including noise pollution, visual impacts, and socio-economic effects. Meaningful engagement with affected stakeholders, transparent communication, and proactive measures to address community feedback are imperative and the proposal has failed in this regard.

In conclusion, the proposed Pottinger Wind Electricity Generating Works must address and mitigate the aforementioned environmental, hydrological, agricultural, and community concerns comprehensively. I strongly urge decision-makers to prioritize ecological integrity, sustainable land use practices, and community well-being in their evaluation of this project and refuse the project on those grounds.

I am a supporter of the Pottinger Wind Farm, Australia needs to develop further renewable energy sources and the Pottinger wind farm is ideally suited to do this due to its access to both PEC and VNI West and access to a reliable wind resource.
The Pottinger wind farm has the additional benefit of providing economic benefit for both the Hay and Deniliquin local government areas and having limited visual impact on the view of the Hay Plains from the Cobb Highway.
I have reviewed the details of the proposed community benefits fund and am of the view that the Pottinger Wind Farm project provides an exciting opportunity for the region.

I oppose this project because its ecological impacts are too great and the cumulative impacts are incomplete. Entire species will be driven to extinction if we clear and fragment what is left of critical habitat. Biodiversity offsets are not adequate or effective to prevent extinction. Some of the threatened and vulnerable fauna that are likely to be impacted are:
- Australasian Bittern Botaurus poiciloptilus
– Australian Painted Snipe Rostratula australis
- Barking Owl Ninox connivens
- Black Falcon Falco subniger
Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis
- Brolga Grus rubicunda
- Brown Treecreeper (eastern subspecies) Climacteris picumnus victoriae
* Diamond Firetail
Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus cyanopterus
Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa
- Gilbert's Whistler Pachycephala inornata
- Grey Falcon Falco hypoleucos
- Grey-crowned Babbler (eastern subspecies) Pomatostomus temporalis temporalis
Inland Forest Bat Vespadelus baverstocki
- Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides
- Little Pied Bat Chalinolobus picatus
- Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmata
- Masked Owl Tyto novaehollandiae
- Painted Honeyeater Grantiella picta
- Pied Honeyeater Certhionyx variegatus
- Pink Cockatoo Lophochroa leadbeateri
Plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus
- Redthroat Pyrrholaemus brunneus
- Regent Parrot (eastern subspecies) Polytelis anthopeplus monarchoides
- Scarlet Robin Petroica boodang
- South-eastern Hooded Robin Melanodryas cucullata cucullata
- Spotted Harrier Circus assimilis
Square-tailed Kite Lophoictinia isura
- Superb Parrot Polytelis swainsonii
- Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor
- Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera
- White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
- White-fronted Chat Epthianura albifrons
White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus
- Yellow-bellied Sheathtail-bat Saccolaimus flaviventris

We oppose this enormous 750mw major project, and request the Pottinger Wind Farm be rejected outright for several reasons,
Its ecological impacts are far too great. The cumulative impacts posed in the Pottinger Wind Farm are incomplete and an underestimate of what will be lost. Entire species will be driven to extinction if we clear and fragment what's left of critical habitat. Siting wind developments, which clear, blast and bench, on greenfield sites full of threatened wildlife is madness.

4.2 Ecosystem credit species
The use of ecosystem credit species is causing serious harm and is extremely overwhelming to the average layman. Biodiversity offsets, which allow for damage in one location to be offset by investment in biodiversity elsewhere, are considered by many in the environmental community to be a harmful policy. In New South Wales, a new offset system called the biodiversity conservation fund charge scheme has been implemented to determine the cost of meeting offset obligations. However, this system has been criticized for lacking transparency and failing to provide real environmental benefits. Koalas are used as an example of the flaws in the offsetting scheme, as their specific dietary and habitat requirements are not adequately protected under the current system.
Some of the fauna that are likely to be impacted are as follows:
Australasian Bittern Botaurus poiciloptilus
– Australian Painted Snipe Rostratula australis
- Barking Owl Ninox connivens
- Black Falcon Falco subniger
Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis
- Brolga Grus rubicunda
- Brown Treecreeper (eastern subspecies) Climacteris picumnus victoriae
* Diamond Firetail
Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus cyanopterus
Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa
- Gilbert's Whistler Pachycephala inornata
- Grey Falcon Falco hypoleucos
- Grey-crowned Babbler (eastern subspecies) Pomatostomus temporalis temporalis
Inland Forest Bat Vespadelus baverstocki
- Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides
- Little Pied Bat Chalinolobus picatus
- Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmata
- Masked Owl Tyto novaehollandiae
- Painted Honeyeater Grantiella picta
- Pied Honeyeater Certhionyx variegatus
- Pink Cockatoo Lophochroa leadbeateri
Plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus
- Redthroat Pyrrholaemus brunneus
- Regent Parrot (eastern subspecies) Polytelis anthopeplus monarchoides
- Scarlet Robin Petroica boodang
- South-eastern Hooded Robin Melanodryas cucullata cucullata
- Spotted Harrier Circus assimilis
Square-tailed Kite Lophoictinia isura
- Superb Parrot Polytelis swainsonii
- Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor
- Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera
- White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
- White-fronted Chat Epthianura albifrons
White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus
- Yellow-bellied Sheathtail-bat Saccolaimus flaviventris


THREATENED SPECIES of flora and fauna,
- Impacts on endangered and threatened species are not adequately addressed: The impact on threatened species, in part listed above should ensure that this site is not suitable for wind turbine presence.
Section: 4.3.2
Incidental flora and fauna surveys are inadequate. We note: The current practice of conducting incidental flora and fauna surveys is not sufficient to truly understand and protect the biodiversity of a region. Furthermore, the use of harmful commodity language, such as labelling certain species as "ecosystem credit species," can have negative consequences on the environment.
In a recent field survey, several threatened species were identified, some of which were not even listed as candidate species for ecosystem credits in the BAM-C. These included the Southern Whiteface, Dusky Woodswallow, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Little Pied Bat, Spotted Harrier, Brown Treecreeper, White-fronted Chat, Black Falcon, and Corben's Long-eared Bat.
By assigning these species as mere commodities, we are devaluing their importance in the ecosystem and risking their survival. It is crucial that we move away from this harmful practice and focus on truly understanding and conserving the flora and fauna that make up our natural world.
BATS: “Scientists are also learning that vocally active species – like bats – make sounds which contain much more complex information than previously thought. Bat echolocation, for example, was discovered nearly a century ago. But only recently have researchers begun deciphering the sounds that bats make for other purposes. By recording many hours of bat vocalizations and decoding them using AI algorithms, scientists have revealed that bats remember favors and hold grudges; socially distance and go quiet when ill; and use vocal labels that reveal individual and kin identity. Male bats learn territorial songs in specific dialects from their fathers and, much like birds, sing these songs to defend territory and attract mates, which scientists characterize as culture

Decommissioning in Australia is still to face the challenges of wind farm decommissioning. The proposed Pottinger Wind Farm proposal , are likely to make salvage and recycling an unappealing and uneconomic option for which ever company owns the resource at end-of-life. Typically, the companies that initially develop the facility are not the owners at end-of-life. In the absence of substantial decommissioning bonds and strong legislation to ensure redundant wind farms are decommissioned in a timely and environmentally sensitive manner, it is likely the public will ultimately meet those expenses. The degree of environmental harm necessary to construct a wind farm in remnant vegetation along the ranges and mountain tops at this location, cannot be restored and rehabilitated post-decommissioning. In reality, it will take several hundred years for those locations to recover to a condition close to their pre-development condition and this only after a prolonged period of erosion in this high-rainfall area.

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) that have been conducted are failing our irreplaceable flora and fauna. They are not independent, and are often used to offset the environmental harm of imperiled biodiversity such as this large scale proposal. A surprisingly large number of EIAs suffer from major inaccuracies and some are green-lighting projects that will have serious environmental and societal costs

RECOMMENDATION:
We note that there is significant public interest in ensuring rigorous, transparent and accountable assessment of environmental risks in relation to major projects that propose to destroy and fragment landscape-scale areas of wilderness due to the magnitude of impacts to Indigenous, local communities and matters of national environmental significance (MNES).


Rainforest Reserves Australia is requesting that a precautionary principle be taken to reject this entire proposal. The cumulative impacts of environmental harm that this proposal will cause, is not in the public interest.

This is a very detailed proposal with many benefits to the local economy and to NSW and the naion. The EIS is very comprehensive, and I fully support this project.

This project has been extensivley thought through supoprted by a comprehensive analysis on the EIS. Hence, i strongly support and believe this project will be beneficial to the local economy and communities.

I am a strong advocate for establishing wind farms in New South Wales and across Australia. This project seems thoroughly planned, with extensive details in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). I believe it will have minimal adverse effects on the local environment and numerous positive benefits.

I strongly support the creation of windfarms in NSW and Australia.
This project appears to be very well considered, with impressive amounts of detail in the EIS.
In my opinion it will have very few negative impacts on the local environment and many positive ones.

I have reviewed the detailed EIS and believe the project is located in an appropriate area, and I support the amount of very detailed analysis undertaken. It considers all the impacts of the project on the region, which is overwhelmingly positive for the region and the State of NSW and Australia in general.

I object very strongly to this project. It must be a controlled action. The risk of contamination from an number of problems these developments can cause is too high. This is prime food producing land and once it is damaged it can nit be fixed. The local water ways and their environments are also in grave danger of being ruined. Before ticking this off you need to ask your. Where does my food come from? Use some common sense for goodness sake.

This project will benefit communities and local business's this will also benefit generations to come.

The renewable energy sector Is undergoing a huge expansion in new projects either at the feasibility stage or at the DA stage and awaiting state/federal approvals. No matter what some sectors such as the coal resources say in a negative manner the future of power is renewables. Our children and grand children will be the longer term beneficiaries. A lot of negative comments are purported from some political parties who say their 'zero emissions options' are cleaner and have a smaller footprint, however the CSIRO have rejected these claims through government approved assessments and as such we must listen to authorities' such as the CSIRO otherwise why have them If we do not act on their findings? Windfarms are already in existence in NSW ( Rye Park ) and others are being presently built. Pottinger is a well thought-out and commercially responsible project. We support Its approval.

I am writing to express my strong support for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Pottinger Energy Park project, which proposes the construction of 247 wind turbines. This initiative represents a significant step towards sustainable energy production and has the potential to bring substantial environmental, economic, and social benefits to our community.

The Pottinger Energy Park project aligns perfectly with our national and global commitments to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change. Wind energy is a clean, renewable source of power that reduces our dependence on fossil fuels, thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. The construction of 247 wind turbines will contribute significantly to our renewable energy targets, providing a reliable and sustainable source of electricity for thousands of households.

Moreover, the economic benefits of this project are considerable. The construction and maintenance of the wind turbines will create numerous job opportunities, fostering local employment and stimulating economic growth. This project will also attract investment in the region, enhancing infrastructure development and potentially leading to further advancements in renewable energy technologies.

The environmental benefits extend beyond carbon reduction. Wind energy production has a minimal footprint on land and does not produce water or air pollution. The EIS has meticulously addressed potential impacts on local wildlife and habitats, ensuring that mitigation strategies are in place to protect our natural environment. The project's commitment to environmental stewardship is evident in its comprehensive planning and adherence to stringent environmental regulations.

In conclusion, the Pottinger Energy Park project is a forward-thinking initiative that will bring lasting positive changes to our community. I fully support the EIS and encourage the approval of this project, as it represents a critical investment in our sustainable future. The benefits of cleaner air, job creation, and energy security far outweigh any potential drawbacks.

Thank you for considering my support for this important project.

Pottinger Energy Park is likely to be the only windfarm development application I will support.
I am not a host landholder but as a 100% Australian company, Someva Renewables has gone beyond the call of duty to not only liaise with the communities of Booroorban, Hay and Deniliquin but has also listened and acted on any concerns raised.
Somewa has been extraordinary generous to all three communities, has offered incentives to host landholders which will drought-proof their properties and have made handsome offers to near neighbours who may be impacted by the development.
If Pottinger Park development is approved, the turbines will hardly been noticed from the Cobb Highway because of their location. For those who would like to watch the progress which is new to the Hay Plains, the turbines will be very visible from Jerilderie road which does not have much traffic.
As a resident of Booroorban, ratepayer of Edward River Council and newspaper editor of The Riverine Grazier in Hay, I am excited about this project for our communities.
I have faith in this project and I trust the applicants of this significant development application.
They have been vigilant with media releases to all of our local news outlets, keeping the community informed every step of the way while also having an almost constant physical and personal presence in Hay, Booroorban and Deniliquin.

These enormous monstrosities called turbines only aid in increasing the environmental problem with the amount of concrete used, the area of land needed, and the natural resources needed to manufacture, transport and operate. The destruction and disruption to flora and fauna in the processes is completely unacceptable. They are the furthest thing from renewable as their lifespan is as little as 30yrs and then a turbine does NOT generate a NEW replacement turbine. It borders on ridiculous to call them renewable. I'd rather go off grid than stuff up our country for our children and their children.