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State Significant Development

Determination

Rye Park Wind Farm

Hilltops

Current Status: Determination

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Consolidated consent

Archive

DGRs (4)

EA (9)

Submissions (2)

Response to Submissions (19)

Recommendation (8)

Determination (3)

Approved Documents

Management Plans and Strategies (24)

Independent Reviews and Audits (5)

Other Documents (12)

Note: Only documents approved by the Department after November 2019 will be published above. Any documents approved before this time can be viewed on the Applicant's website.

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Inspections

08/12/2021

11/03/2022

27/05/2022

14/10/2022

21/06/2023

06/09/2023

Note: Only enforcements and inspections undertaken by the Department from March 2020 will be shown above.

Submissions

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Showing 61 - 80 of 391 submissions
Chris Hally
Object
Rye Park , New South Wales
Message
Director-General
NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure
GPO Box 39
SYDNEY, NSW, 2001

3 July 2014

Re: Rye Park Wind Farm Project Application - Application Number 10-0223

Dear Sir / Ma'am,

Thank you for the opportunity to make this submission in response to the Rye Park Wind Farm Project Application.

INTRODUCTION

My wife and I have lived in Rye Park since 2010. We purchased our home because it is a unique lifestyle property of 3 acres surrounded by larger farms which guarantees our privacy and secures our peaceful, pastoral outlook to the nearby ridges.

Unknown to us when we purchased was that a large wind farm was planned for Rye Park and that 10 wind turbines were to be sited in our precious outlook within a 2.1 to 3 kilometre range.

Our property looks up to the ridgelines and no amount of screening will restore our current outlook once the wind farm is constructed. Using Epuron's Zone of Visual Influence descriptors our future outlook to the wind farm would be defined as one of `high visibility.'

All 10 turbines in our immediate outlook are to be sited on property owned by absentee landlords who are not part of our Rye Park community. Of great annoyance to us is that our lifestyle as permanent full time residents of Rye Park will be degraded for the financial benefit of landowners who have no intention of being part of our community.

My wife and I are both members of the Rye Park Wind Farm Community Consultative Committee. At a recent committee meeting we were dismayed to learn of the minimalist contribution the mooted purchaser of the proposed wind farm - Trustpower - is prepared to input to the Rye Park community. There is a pervading sense of intended exploitation by a foreign owned company with little benefit to most in the Rye Park community should the wind farm be approved.

LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACTS

Epuron have provided a photomontage for our property which is grossly inadequate and misleading in the perspective it provides. The image provided is not a realistic representation of the size of the future wind turbines and markedly minimises the visual impact the turbines will have on our outlook. When Epuron were challenged at a Community Consultative Committee meeting regarding this their representative was unable to defend the integrity of the photomontage and other participants at the meeting were genuinely shocked when my wife presented an alternative depiction of how the turbines will more realistically look. I have forwarded this image previously to both the Department of Planning and Infrastructure and the Minister's office.

The turbines are located on the top of hills to our north and north east which makes them more clearly visible from our property. As we look up to them from our front verandah there is no relief provided by topography, vegetation or buildings. Our home will clearly view the entire turbine structure from ground to tip of blade. No amount of screening will improve our outlook once the wind farm is constructed.

While our immediate neighbours all own 500 + acreage we own only 3 acres and we will not be able to escape the visual presence of these wind turbines until we enter our home and close the doors.
Epuron have not made any consideration for smaller lifestyle properties such as ours which are surrounded by larger properties resulting in a more open outlook and consequent higher visual impact.

Should the Rye Park wind farm proceed as planned our visual amenity will be drastically degraded.


NOISE

The reality is that modelling by the developer cannot be proved until the wind farm is operational, which is of concern when the allowable background noise measurement is already contentious. In rural areas background noise at night is often below 20 dBA.

Even during the day our location is very quiet to the extent that my wife and I were enjoying our morning coffee on our verandah when we both heard an unfamiliar noise. We eventually established that what we were hearing was the carpenter using his staple gun on a house being constructed 3 kilometres from our house. One of the reasons we live here is for this peace and quiet. You do not have to be an acoustician to deduce that industrial wind turbines taller than the Sydney Harbour Bridge and located less than 3 kilometres from our home will be very noisy when the prevalent north easterly breezes blow in our direction during the summer nights. Are we expected to close all our windows and doors to try and block out the noise of the wind turbines and then have to cool our house with an air conditioner instead of taking the natural advantage of the cooling north easterlies?

Epuron have not admitted that we will suffer noise disturbance from the wind turbines but the Bango wind farm representative has told us that we will certainly hear the wind turbines as we are located closer than 3 kilometres from them. How are we mean't to cope with sleep deprivation ensuing from the noise of these turbines?

As already stated our property is unique because it is surrounded by much larger holdings which are all pastoral. Consequently we do not have any buildings from neighbours or natural topography or vegetation which could deflect the noise from the turbines. How are we to have quiet enjoyment of our home if the allowable background noise measurement exceeds requirements and what actions will the proponent take to mitigate our degraded lifestyle when this occurs?

ECOLOGY

We are concerned about the environmental impact of this development.

The application identified "eleven vegetation types", "four threatened flora species and one EEC was identified with potential for impact", "nine species of threatened birds and three species of threatened microbats were recorded during surveys", (page 22). Along with the 99 different species of bird identified.

Isn't this significant enough to warrant ceasing all development of the project?

PROPERTY VALUES

The NSW Valuer General Preliminary Assessment of the Impact of Wind Farms on Surrounding Land Values in Australia report indicated that lifestyle properties such as ours were more likely to decrease in value because of proximity to wind farms than larger holdings. We have had first hand experience of property devaluation...and this is before the wind farm is even built.

12 months ago my wife and I approached our bank for refinancing. It was the same bank and the same branch which provided our mortgage for our property at Rye Park 2 years earlier. Because we were refinancing the bank undertook another valuation on our property. The result was that our property had reduced in value by $30,000 in the 2 year period while local properties not close to the wind farm were rising in value. The only difference between the 2 valuations was that this time the bank took into consideration the proximity of our property to the proposed wind farm.

This is clearly indicative that should we want to sell our property, it is very likely that we are going to suffer substantial loss of value because of close proximity to wind turbines. Of great concern, is that Epuron does not offer any mitigating strategies to compensate non host landowners for property devaluation because of proximity to their proposed wind farm when there is increasing evidence that devaluation is a reality.


ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Epuron have failed to undertake adequate planning to ensure the project will be compliant. Plans not included in the application are Traffic and Transport, Erosion & Sediment Control, Landscape Management, Soil & Water, Chemical and Fuel Storage, Fire Management, Rail Safety Management, Waste Generation and Disposal.

Additionally, the model of turbine has not been decided nor the exact locations of these turbines. Consequently, concerns about the environment have not yet been fully identified/addressed nor mitigation measures definitively planned.

It is unprofessional for Epuron to submit a State Significant Development application without fully and meticulously planning the project. This does not inspire confidence for members of the Rye Park community in an industrial project that is going to alter our visual landscape forever and significantly devalue our primary asset - the family home.


Chris and Jenny Hally

290 Little Plains Road, Rye Park, NSW.

Richard Stapleton
Object
Rye Park , New South Wales
Message
I would like to express my great dissatisfaction with Epuron and the contents of this Environmental Assessment.

There are lot of clashes in the detail of the statistics in different reports, a lot of the planning work that is not completed and a lot of non-detail in "completed" assessments.

Epuron have been uncommunicative and uninformative, The so-called "experts and professional" representatives who have hosted the three? open days held in Rye Park ( that I am aware of) were unable to answer any of our questions and at one point were were passed onto their "appropriate specialist" who still could not answer our questions about noise. The lack of, and misleading information forthcoming at this open day was a disgrace. When we asked why we had never been informed or consulted about the Rye Park Windfarm we were asked where we lived and then told that we would only have been contacted if were within 2 kms of the project site! This is probably why so many people here have had no knowledge of this development
By our own calculations - from Epuron's displayed maps - we are definitely within 5kms and it would appear that we are somewhere around 3kms? from the closest turbine.
What I at saw at this open day was also disgraceful. There is nothing professional about a company representative openly arguing with the public.

Epuron state in the EA under the heading of Key Stakeholders
" Epuron and it's consultants have actively engaged with a nuymber of stakeholders including: local community - involved and neighbouring or nearby landowners ...."

THIS DID NOT HAPPEN! There has been no "engagement"
active or otherwise. Too many people in Rye Park have had NO CONSULTATION and too many people in Rye Park have had NO INFORMATION.
Epuron has not even come close to meeting the brief for Community Consultation.

Epuron states:
"A range of wind turbines is being considered for the Project with a capacity between 1.5 and 3.0 megawatts. For consistency of presentation the calculations used throughout this EA assume an indicative wind farm capacity of 378 MW based on a typical 3.0 MW turbine."

It is of serious concern that Epuron has based their EA on 3MW turbines for this project. 3MW turbines as described in the EA, are the largest ever built in Australia, and as there has been no research or studies done on this size turbine, how can ANY assessments be made. Such assessments are not based on precedents, studies or facts..These so called assessments are Epuron's assumptions.

Is the Rye Park turbine development experimental?

Epuron also state that the " turbine selection and location will be completed once final approval is received."

How can the DPI approve a development without knowing what will be built and where it will be built?

For the DPI to approve this project on the EA submitted by Epuron would be irresponsible and negligent in its obligations.

The route from Yass to Rye Park for construction traffic and transport is of concern for every resident here who travels these roads regularly.
The Rye Park Rd (from Boorowa to Rye Park is tar and of questionable quality. The proposed Cooks Hill Rd (from Yass to Rye Park, is, in part, gravel and most certainly not of a standard to take the quantity of traffic and size of vehicles proposed. There is no curb, guttering of line marks.

Of major concern is Yass Strreet, in Rye Park. Flanked at the roadside by residential properties and Rye Park School, it is most definitely NOT a safe access route for any industrial development. The infants and primary children who attend Rye Park School cross Yass Street regularly. The children who attend Boorowa and Yass schools by bus, are picked up and dropped off in Yass Street. There are no footpaths, crossings or lights. None have ever been required because of the extremely low volume of traffic through Rye Park.

To quote from the EA
"In 2010 the NSW Government commissioned a report `Community Attitudes to Wind Farms in NSW' to assess residents attitudes towards targets set to achieve 20% renewable energy sources by 2020. The survey was conducted by telephone of 2022 resident's aged 18 years and older and 300 businesses across the 6 Renewable Energy Precincts, including the ACT/NSW Border Areas and a control area in regional NSW.
One of the key findings from this study was the overall support for wind farms as a source of energy generation within the vicinity of a residence. 85% of the population across the precincts supported wind farms in NSW, with 80% supporting them within their local precinct, and 79% supporting a wind farm being built 10 km from their residence.
Based on this survey, including observations made by the project consultation team, it can be concluded that communities in the Yass Valley region are generally supportive of wind farms. The survey also showed that a majority of the population did not feel they had adequate information about wind farms, even in areas where general wind farm awareness was much greater."

This survey obviously has major flaws. Or maybe it is just outdated (2010), or perhaps those areas who are actually experiencing the turmoil of an industrial development at their doorstep, were just not surveyed.

I would like to inform the DPI of a very recent survey done in the proposed Rye Park Windfarm area.

In June, 2014, we attended a Public Meeting held in Rye Park Hall with 112 other residents from the area. A survey of these residents recorded 91% DID NOT WANT a wind farm in Rye Park.
It was a shame that Epuron did not accept their invitation to attend, or they would have experienced this for themselves.

I have other areas of concern: Fire and Air Support
Telecommunications
Water
Blade Flicker
Noise and Visual Impact


I ask that you will PLEASE listen to the community, or better, come and see first hand, what Epuron has only put together by assumption, behind a computer and from over 400kms away.

Richard Stapleton
Debbie Vanderlaan
Wesley Trotter
Object
Rye Park , New South Wales
Message
Christopher Braid
Object
Boorowa , New South Wales
Message
Please find attached my submission
Jonathan Langfield
Object
RYE PARK , New South Wales
Message
Please see attached for our submission.
Martin Flanagan
Object
Rye Park , New South Wales
Message
Please refer to the attachment.
Lorrainne Flanagan
Object
Rye Park , New South Wales
Message
Please refer to the attachment.
Renee Andrews
Object
Dalton , New South Wales
Message
We would like to make a submission against the proposed Rye Park wind farm. There are many reasons why we are against this proposal.
We currently reside at 2241 Rye Park Road Dalton and are building our dream home. We both work in Canberra but chose to live and commute in the area as we like our quiet rural life.
We first heard about the proposed wind farm when a community group left a flyer at our gate. Even though the wind turbines will be quite prominent from our house we have had no consultation from Epuron and have noted on the map they have provided as part of their submission that a considerable amount of dwellings in the area are not marked on the map. We find the lack of community consultation appalling.
Part of the appeal of living in a rural setting is the community spirit, neighbours helping out neighbours and looking after each other. This proposal has caused significant community divide. Residents that will have turbines placed on their land have been offered compensation and others like ourselves will have to look at these turbines and listen to these turbines with no compensation this has caused bitterness amongst neighbours.
A decrease in property values associated with the proximity of the turbines is a likely problem, just the mention of a wind turbine proposal makes it difficult to sell if we don't like the idea of living next to them.
Renee is a landscape / nature photographer another reason we have chosen to live in the area. Most of the landscape photos she has taken are right on our doorstep and the wind turbines will leave a visual blight on our landscape. Many bird species including the vulnerable Superb Parrot reside in this area. The Superb Parrot is vulnerable due to habitat loss and we are concerned about the impact an industrial development of this size will have on their numbers. Another threatened species we have seen residing in the area is the Rosenbergs Goanna, we are also concerned about the impact of the wind farm on the Goanna.
We are concerned about the construction process of this wind farm. Onsite concrete mixing plants and the run off polluting our waterways and farm dams, this is concerning due to the impact it may have on native fish and frogs.
Thank you for considering our objection,
Allan Fowler and Renée Andrews
Richard Miller
Object
Blakney Creek , New South Wales
Message
Please find attached submission
James Andrew Field
Object
Dalton , New South Wales
Message
Please find submission document attached in PDF format
nita wheeler
Object
yass , New South Wales
Message
I retain the right to submit further information. File attached
Joan Birnie
Object
Rye Park , New South Wales
Message
see FIle attachment 1
Boorowa Council
Comment
BOOROWA , New South Wales
Message
Boorowa Council Submission
Alan and Colleen Watts
Object
Carcoar , New South Wales
Message
RYE FARM WIIND FARM PROJECT APPLICATION
Number: 10_0223
SUBMISSION: 04/07/2014
DR. ALAN C WATTS OAM
DR. COLLEEN J WATTS OAM

We wish to register an OBJECTION to the Rye Farm Wind Farm Project Application and urge the Department of Planning to NOT recommend its approval.

INTRODUCTION

The continued promulgation of wind farms is most definitely not directed towards the public interest on many levels including (but not limited to) issues of health (adverse health effects, vibration and flicker), economics, energy supply intermittency, visual pollution, wildlife and environmental adverse effects, community disharmony and disruption, damage to roads and local infrastructure and tenuous arrangements for decommissioning. With the added impost of subsidies (by way of the cost of the RECs being passed to the electricity consumer, and other subsidies) the construction and operation of industrial wind turbines has become a travesty.

There can be no place for IWTs in a modern, progressive economy. Despite the wind industry's cries to the contrary in the near future IWTs will become obsolete technology and rural residents will be left with landscapes littered with derelict relics with which they will have to contend. It is time that our governments looked hard at the realities of this situation and took appropriate steps to ensure that this does not happen.

We draw your attention to the NSW Draft Wind Farm Guidelines, now several years old and yet to be approved. Although the Rye Park Wind Farm is being assessed under Part 3A it is still advisable to consider the Guidelines when assessing this project. What is no longer tolerable for new projects does not make poor assessments under Part 3A suddenly acceptable. There is a moral responsibility for the government to make responsible judgements of proposals using the latest knowledge. The argument that there can be no retrospectivity is also not valid. There are numerous cases where government decisions have been made retrospectively.

HEALTH IMPACTS

Nationally and internationally there is an accumulating body of evidence that IWTs are producing adverse health effects for many residents living within the orbit of wind farms. The issues revolve around the effects of audible noise, vibration and flicker, and the effects of low frequency noise and infrasound (LFNI). The adverse health effects (AHE) caused by audible noise from a variety of sources and environments have been well studied over many years, and have been addressed to some extent by the World Health Organisation and other national and international bodies. The AHEs caused by LFNI have been less well studied but irrefutable evidence is coming to light about the sequelae of continuous exposure to IWTs particularly in a section of the exposed population.

Rather than reiterate the specific reports and journal publications on this matter I refer you to the excellent summary of current knowledge outlined by the Waubra Foundation:

http://waubrafoundation.org.au/health/current-knowledge/#menu0-el1

and the National Wind Watch website:

https://www.wind-watch.org/ww-noise-health.php

These are but two of a growing number of websites and resources which meticulously record and make easily available the rapidly expanding knowledge base about the problems of noise and health, particularly as they relate to IWTs.

SET BACK DISTANCES

As noted, Rye Park Wind Farm is being assessed as a Part 3A project. Nevertheless the setback distances recommended in the NSW Draft Wind Farm Guidelines should be considered. The population numbers within distances that will potentially cause AHEs is extremely concerning.

For instance, the village of Rye Park is located in a valley below the IWTs and many of them will be seen from the village. The village has a population of 237 and a considerable number of these people will live less than 2 kms from IWTs. The main street itself will be 2.6 km from the nearest turbine.

This would be unacceptable in terms of the Draft Guidelines. As we understand it the Guidelines specify that IWTs cannot be less than 2 kms from a non-host unless an acceptable "gateway" process has been negotiated. Moreover a community should not be closer than 5 kms.

According to the 2011 Census the following populations will be within 10 kms from this wind farm : Boorowa - 1211 people, Yass - 6329 people, Dalton - 109 people, Rye Park - 237 people.

There have been several studies that show that significant LFNI has been found out to 11 kms. This was documented as long ago as 1985 by NASA, and there has been corroborating evidence since.

The NSW Department of Planning (and other Departments with relevant responsibilies, eg. Department of Health) has a duty of care towards any person potentially affected by IWTs. The inadequate recommendations by such bodies as the NHMRC and AMA do NOT give permission to our Government bodies to neglect the accumulating evidence of the AHEs due to wind turbines.

We therefore urge the Department of Planning to look carefully at the location of the IWTs contained within the Rye Park Wind Farm, to acknowledge that there is the potential of great harm to a considerable number of people and to make the responsible decision to NOT RECOMMEND THAT THIS PROJECT IS APPROVED.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Alan C. Watts OAM

Dr. Colleen J Watts OAM

David Holohan
Object
sydney , New South Wales
Message
see attached
Alec Whitton
Object
YASS , New South Wales
Message
As a resident adjacent to the wind farm, I am opposed to its construction for reasons which are environmental, visual impact, noise and health concerns and due to the proximity of the turbines to the land on which I live.
The planned access road, 120m to the East of my residence will have a negative impact on my land and my stock.
I am not convinced that there are no health implications and as Epuron have yet to decide on the design and size of the turbines, I do not believe that they can assure any member of the public that there will be no future impact.
Jessica Barrass
Object
YASS , New South Wales
Message
Concerned that property will not be protected from bushfire due to aviation exclusion zone.
Property values will decrease if turbines are installed.
I dont like the look of the turbines and am concerned about the impact on the health of my family and livestock.
Bert Barrass
Object
YASS , New South Wales
Message
Please consider this submission in preference to the previous one submitted as Albert Barrass of 3522 Rye Park Rd Yass
Name Withheld
Object
Yass , New South Wales
Message
As a result of the recent public exhibitions, I am not in support of this Rye Park Wind Farm project while there are so many community and direct issues that have not been addressed. The Project proposes to install turbines on my property and a powerline which will transverse through my property. I have been working through these issues with initially Winlab, and now Epuron.

There is no consistency and many differences between my discussions with Epuron, the Rye Park Wind Farm EA and locals who are pro and against this Project.

Consequently, there is a need for further clarification on the following before I can support the Rye Park Wind Farm Project;
* Traffic volume study on Blakney Creek Rd South. This light traffic and narrow road needs to be ruled out of use for this Project or upgraded to handle the impact of large numbers of semi trailers and damage they will cause.
* Legal liability of any fire and/or catastrophic event resulting from the turbines and/or powerlines and/or acts of employees/contractors on site.
* Agreed procedures with Yass fire brigade in the event of a turbine fire.
* Decommission arrangements and the requirement of a fund to be held by the operator.
* All issues agreed or clarified with this project transfer to any new entity.
* There is no agreed access from Blakney Creek Rd South through my property.
* There is no agreed access for this Project from Dalton Rd at/near the `Spring Creek' property entrance.
* The `Lease Land' area for my property marked on all the maps is incorrect. The discussed `Leased Land' is an easement up to 60m surrounding the turbines and access roads.
* My airstrip on my property is not shown on the airstrip map and the impact of not being allowed to use it.
* My house has not been assessed for the study of the impact of turbine noise.
* Until a noise impact is done, turbines RVP 106, 107 and 110 are not agreed being too close to our residence.
* My house and surrounds are not part of the lease land have no building restrictions.
* The powerline discussed on my property was a `T' shape. There is a different compensation model that would need to be agreed to should a much larger `coathanger' style powerline be considered.
* Through my property, the `alternative powerline' marked is the preferred powerline route.

I look forward to further discussions to clarify the issues above before my support can be given.
James Frances Field OAM
Object
Yass , New South Wales
Message
I have uploaded and attached my submission as a PDF
I retain the right to summit further information.

Pagination

Project Details

Application Number
SSD-6693
Assessment Type
State Significant Development
Local Government Areas
Hilltops
Decision
Approved
Determination Date
Decider
IPC-N
Last Modified By
SSD-6693-Mod-2
Last Modified On
23/09/2022

Contact Planner

Name
Iwan Davies