Rye Park Wind Farm

I strongly support the proposed Wind Farm at Rye Park.

I have kept up-to-date with all documentation provided by Trustpower and its predecessor, and have read many of the submissions on the NSW Government website. I have visited the Trustpower Office in Yass and have looked at the simulations of views of the towers from different locations.

I own two properties in the village of Rye Park and will be able to see some of the turbines from those properties. I consider them to be visually attractive and the equivalent of many of the sculptures that make up the urban art in our cities.
Alternative energies must be the way forward for a developed economy and community like Australia, yet we have too many opponents to this on what I consider to be poor reasoning. Joe Hockey's comments were a prime example. Would he really consider more open cut coal mines and accompanying developments as seen in the Hunter Valley to wind turbines and no resulting air pollution?

The only small concern I have to the proposal is due to the attitude of some workers during construction, not the turbines themselves, any noise, or environmental impacts.
As long as the eventual contractors are careful with shutting gates they move through, weed control, erosion and other matters that impact on the economic viability of the farmers, I have no problems with the proposed development going ahead. Indeed I would welcome it as an assistance to reducing global warming and adding substantially to the economic well-being of the community in which the turbines would be erected. How else can a farmer on the hilly (inferior) country effectively drought-proof their property?

Speaking as a Rye Park resident that will not benefit financially from the development, the improvements I would like to see in our community amenity are two fold:
1. seal the balance of the road between Rye Park and Yass (the bit in Upper Lachlan Shire); and
2. get better mobile phone reception for the Rye Park Village.

I am hoping that both these developments will need to be achieved for efficient construction of the Wild Farm.

I support this application to support landholders rights to have renewable energy on their property rather than coal or csg. This will also encourage investment and reduce additional coal field development.

Although I do not live in the area in question, I wish to encourage the development of alternative forms of energy and wind farms are certainly a step in the right direction

I am the son of a farming family that live in Galong and own a property in Rye Park. The property they own in Rye Park is in line to receive a number of wind turbines. The benefits of this proposed wind farm are numerous and far reaching.
Primarily, it will provide a much needed supplementary income for a number of farmers that have struggled through years of drought and hard times. It will allow my own parents to build a house on the farm which they work, which has been a dream ever since owning the property.
Trustpower will inject new life into the Rye Park community through a community enhancement fund, long term employment for locals and economic stimulation. I believe that Trustpower entered into positive neighbourhood agreements that hold mutual benefit for the community and themselves.
Finally, on a wider scale utilising wind power as a source of green energy is integral for our environment. There is minimal impact on land use, high energy production efficiency and it is of course a renewable resource.
I strongly support the proposed wind farm and hope that it goes ahead.

We need to support sustainable energy options. I support wind farms locally, nationally and globally. Australia is behind the rest of the world when it comes to wind farms and other sustainable energy options. I support this project.

I support the Rye Park Wind Farm Project.

We need sustainable energy projects in Australia and this project ticks all of the boxes.

I would welcome rapid acceptance of the latest plan and encourage government to get out of the way and let people who can do.

To whom it may concern.

Thankyou for the opportunity to make a submission concerning the Rye Park Wind Farm.

I support the development of the proposed Rye Park wind farm. I live within 2km of a proposed turbine on the north side of Rye Park.

After visiting several operational wind farms, I don't believe my family and I will be adversely affected by the proposed wind farm. I believe at times we may hear noise from the turbines, but this noise will be negligible. The view from our house will be different but not destroyed.

I believe the local community will benefit from the injection of funds to hosts, neighbours and a community fund, from employment opportunities and be helping to produce clean renewable energy. The potential benefits of this project will be spread widely over the area. I don't know exact figures but 30-40 hosts payments, 20-30 neighbours payments, 74 permanent or short term jobs (locally) and an ongoing community fund for the life of the project seems a good trade off so that the wind farm can harvest the wind to produce power.

My 3 children currently attend the Rye Park Public School and I do not believe they will be adversely affected by the wind farm at school. My hope is that the school will benefit from the wind farm if local employment is created and more families move to the area.

I am encouraged that Trustpower chose to respond to previous submissions and concerns.

The proposed wind farm won't necessarily be all good. The landscape will undoubtedly be massively changed by this project, which will take the community a while to adjust to. This is probably the biggest aesthetic change to the landscape since widespread clearing took place several generations ago. I feel that the impact will be small compared to the benefits and small compared to the impacts that other large projects might have on the area. There will also be construction noise and traffic to put up with during the initial construction.

I feel at times the impact of the project is being downplayed by the proponents. Phrases like the following, from section 6 - Updated Environmental Assessment under 6.1.4 Conclusion
" The revised LVIA has determined that the Rye Park wind farm would have an overall medium visual significance on the majority of non-associated and associated residential dwellings within the projects 10 km viewshed."
seem to be downplaying the visual impact of the project. Tell someone who is now looking at 50-80 wind turbines out their window that the overall visual significance has been medium in nature, even if they don't mind the change.

Also the statement again in Section 6 - Updated Environmental Assessment under 6.5.3 Conclusion
"In particular the delivery of the over-mass and oversize wind turbine equipment components may at times affect the flow of local traffic."
I would suggest is again downplaying the significance of the change to normal traffic conditions. The proposal suggests up to 40 additional heavy vehicle movements a day through or around Rye Park. Currently I doubt there would be a dozen heavy vehicle movements a day in the same vicinity.
While I do not believe that these impacts should prevent the development proceeding, they do need to be taken into consideration and put in a local context.

I agree with others that Epuron's original community consultation was woefully inadequate. I do not believe they necessarily acted as good citizens amongst the local community.

There are other things that concern me, like the condition of local roads may be adversely affected, habitat loss, erosion from earthworks, decommissioning and removal of the turbines. However I am hopeful that these issues will be appropriately dealt with and the proponents will be held to account where needed and will be good citizens.

Yours Sincerely
Craig Southwell

I strongly object to a windfarm being built in Rye Park and surrounds.

The consultation and information that I have personally received has been quite literally non existent until 12 hours after the Dept of Planning meeting held in Rye Park Hall on 8/6/16, when I coincidentally received my first ever contact, via telephone, from Trustpower. Clearly, someone at that meeting has reported back to Trustpower and told them to immediately try to remedy the situation. Not good enough - the fact remains that I have had no contact from Trustpower for 5 1/2 YEARS.
This situation only serves to highlight the the division of the community since this project was proposed. There is no longer open, spontaneous dialogue between people and families who were once friends for many years. There is now suspicion and uncertainty.

At one of Trustpower's open days, I used one of their zoning maps(Figure 6) to assess how far I would be from the nearest turbine. It appeared to be 5kms. This was confirmed by an employee at Yass on 8/6/16. Upon comparing Figure 6 and Figure 17, Photo Sheet 11, it appeared we were, in fact, only 3.5kms from the nearest turbine. This was confirmed by the Dept of Planning at a public information session at Rye Park Hall on 8/6/16. The disturbing part of this is that if my distance is out, according to this map, so is most of Rye Park and the Blakeney Creek area.

The value of my property is a very disturbing concern for me. In April and May 2016 I had two different local real estate agents visit my property to give me a valuation. When asked for their opinion on the effect wind turbines would have on the property value they both stated that it would definitely impact the value negatively. I object to Trustpower's response 9.3.8 Property Value which has obviously been pulled out of some obscure, unamed report which measures distance in miles. Why did Trustpower not obtain information from local real estate agents (Boorowa and Yass). I was informed byTrustpower's own representative at their shop in Yass that they got their information in Goulburn.

My particular situation involves 2 windfarms. I have Rye Park windfarm to the east and Bango windfarm to the west. This situation is completely unacceptable to me. I live on a small farm/lifestyle property, not a large grazing concern, and as such, turbines will be visible from every part of my property, including my house. This saturation would be a massive impact on my quality of life and should not be allowed .

The erosion which will result from the construction of turbines will be unavoidable and no "appropriate mitigation procedures" will change that. As an example the high country has not yet recovered from the main gas line which passed through our countryside 40 years ago. There are many areas of non-regeneration and damage can still be seen.

Richard Stapleton

I strongly object to the Rye Park Wind Farm.

I bought my property in November 2010 and live approx 3.5kms from the nearest proposed turbine. I have NEVER been contacted by Epuron or Trustpower. I have attended open days. I have filled in feedback forms with my contact information. I have put my name and address on every sign in sheet. But I have still not be contacted. I know of others in the same situation. Trustpower have NOT met the Director General's Requirements for community consultation and it would appear that they are untruthful regarding certain documents in the EIS.

I have been informed by 2 local real estate agents that wind turbines WILL affect the value of my property. And if Trustpower had used agents from the local area instead of from Goulburn, or pulling an excerpt from a report that isn't even about Australian property prices and states miles instead of kilometres, they may have discovered that turbines will, indeed, lower prices - some more than others.

I will be saturated by wind turbines. The Rye Park wind farm east of me and the Bango wind farm to the west and south west of me.
i cannot understand how this could be allowed to happen. There will be nowhere that I will be able to escape these turbines. I will see them from my house and everywhere on my property. I will be surrounded by their noise. I am entitled to quality of life on my own property and in my own home, which up until now I have had. This will be taken from me if these turbine projects go ahead.

The proximity of the Rye Park windfarm to the village of Rye Park is not acceptable. Turbine developments should not be constructed this close to a small township. They are far too close to a school and a pre school. The long term effects of constant infrasound are not yet known. Do not use our children as guinea pigs.

What would happen if both developments were approved with months of each other? Construction of both developments at the same time would be insupportable.

It has become obvious that neither of these companies care about the people who live around their proposed developments. Who then, has a duty of care.

Debbie Vanderlaan

Rye Park wind farm submission:
My name is Greg Faulkner and I am completely opposed to the Rye Park wind farm.
Residents from the area have made their opposition to the wind farm clear. The proponent does not have the social license required to proceed with their project. It should not proceed.
Health:
The NHMRC has not yet completed its research into the health effects of wind farms. It states on their web page:
"After careful consideration and deliberation, NHMRC concludes that there is currently no consistent evidence that wind farms cause adverse health effects in humans. Given the limitations of the existing evidence and continuing concerns expressed by some members of the community, NHMRC considers that further high quality research on the possible health effects of wind farms is required."
How is it possible wind farm developments to be approved until the required research is completed? What will be the proponents, the departments and the PACs position, should the research find that there is an adverse impact on people's health? Are the department and PAC gambling that this will not be the case?
The proponent refers to the NHMRC in their report without mentioning their most recent and relevant research investigating the impact of wind farms on health and sleep. This speaks volumes about the proponent's integrity and highlights the skewed representation of information used throughout the application.
Visual impact, devaluation and property acquisition:
85 Homes lie within 3km of the wind farm. This is far too many, and the proponent's analysis of the visual impact at these homes should not be accepted.
It entirely to the benefit of the proponent to underestimate the impact of their wind farm on these homes, and any fair assessment would require visual impact to be re investigated by an independent and objective expert.
If the project were approved it is clear that the visual impact of the turbines in the near area will be enormous, and homes will certainly be devalued. This will leave some residents in financial trouble and quite likely unable to relocate, should they feel the need to escape the situation.
Studies which find no property devaluation for homes near wind turbines are convenient and utterly unlikely. I ask a few questions of anyone reading this submission; would you buy a home located in the midst of a wind farm, when there is one just as nice down the road with no turbines? All else being equal, would you pay the same amount? Would you worry about raising your newborn baby under a 157 meter Vesta? Honestly?
The income generated by the turbines for the proponent will be enormous. So huge that they would scarcely notice the cost of property acquisition for the most heavily impacted residents.
After an independent assessment is conducted to determine the true extent of impact, its seems fair that any heavily impacted residents should at least have the option to have their homes acquired for pre wind farm value with consideration for general costs, moving costs and inconvenience. Given the huge financial gain the developer will reap, this is the only ethically correct way forward.
Noise:
Frequency and amplitude modulation are constant issues at all operating wind farms.
The proponent's statement:
"If excessive amplitude modulation is found to be a feature of the turbine noise at the Rye Park Wind Farm, measures will be taken to correct the noise characteristic". (Page 79 RPWF main report)
This is a childishly simplistic and quite inadequate response to a serious matter. The proponent is effectively asking for trust, in an industry where any right to trust has long since been squandered.
Amplitude modulation has already had an adverse effect on the health and sleep of wind farm neighbours all over Australia and wind farm operators have consistently failed to address the problem. It is cheaper and more convenient to question the honesty and mental health of surrounding residents.
What "measures" do they propose to address amplitude modulation? Will they move turbines? Will they turn them off? How will they even know Amplitude Modulation is taking place? Surely residents deserve a better response.
Infra sound:
The proponents assertion that the infra sound generated by its turbines is comparable to other common sources of infra sound is ridiculous. To use this as the basis for not conducting further investigation is a complete cop out.
The infra sound generated by a wind turbine is unique, constant, rhythmic and linked to the weather. The sources of the infrasound, the turbines, are colossal in size and the rotor (the element which generates the Infra sound) is elevated well above the surrounding topography. In addition turbines are dispersed across the landscape over an enormous area. The wavelengths involved are incredibly long and cannot be attenuated by any normal method of construction. It is safe to say there is no other type of infra sound that even approximates the infra sound which is emitted from a wind farm. For the developer to assert otherwise is either misinformed or dishonest.
The proponent should be required to model and take account of infra sound and its potential impact in its application.
Rye Park wind farm should be refused.
Greg Faulkner
Boro, NSW.

We are objecting to the proposed Rye Park Windfarm SSD 6693. Reasons for submission are as follows:

1 There are far to many Turbines visible from the villiage of Rye Park, and are too close to populated areas. Turbines will be much more visible than images predict.

2 If the Bango development eventuates, Rye Park will be surrounded by Turbines at 3 kl on the Eastern and Western sides. One can only imagine the noise and flicker this would cause.

3 After viewing the proposal for local roads in the area ie.Cemetry and Lagoon Creek road and many others , it is impossible for large oversize trucks to access these without clearing many trees affecting bird habitat and cutting corners into private property. Roads East of Rye Park Cemetry and Lagoon Creek area are improperly named. At the Boorowa Rye Park Road intersection to the Rugby Road it will be impossible to turn without demolishing the Telephone Exchange.

4 Cemetry Road will be a main access road with many trees cleared and damage to road service. This road passes the entrance to the Cemetry which is still in use and should not be allowed because of heritage value and in convenience.

5 Wind Farm will cause property devaluation in the Village as well as rural land . This area is becomeing a popular Hobby Farm area.

6 I object to Trust Power using forceful means to achieve Development approval ie; The recent meeting held at Rye Park. Also inconsistent payments offered to neighbouring residents within 2kl of Wind Towers rangeing from $2500 to $5000 so that they cannot complain or enter a submission regarding the Wind Farm.

7 Answers to previous submissions have not been answered. A quick survey of Turbines within 10kl of Rye Park indicates that 75% of the hosts dont live on the properties where the Turbines are to be errected. This shows that the majority of hosts are absentee owners, and are not impacted by their presence.

We wish to register our disapproval of Rye Park Wind Farm
SSD 6693 because of some farming and property concerns as we will be greatly impacted by this project.

1 That we can continue farming without disruption in any way.
Some of these concerns are------ aerial supering --- movement of stock on Public roads to shed and between paddocks without traffic and dust problems caused by increased traffic.

2 Erosion into dam from neighbouring property where major road will be built. This dam has a spring in it and is a major water supply during drought. Batching plant on Northern end of project will discharge into creek running through the property.

3 Noice and flicker levels at house on our property will be a concern as their are 7 proposed Turbines within 2 kl and these will need monitoring.

4 The construction of the Wind Farm will devalue our property as quite a few blocks could be sold as Hobby Farms.

5 Radio and television reception could be affected and would need monitoring.

6 The spread of noxious weeds from machinery.

7 Answers to previous submissions have not been acceptable and Turbines have been changed with longer blades and shorter posts so the impact of the fans will be greater.

8 This hilly country is slate country and clearing of vegetation will have a detramental effect and probably never recover from the destruction

Please go ahead. Let's have more renewable energy in Australia, especially NSW. Other countries with far less potential than us for renewable energy are surging ahead of us. Time to get moving. Cut the fossil fuel right out.

I am very concerned about the effect the quantity and height of the proposed wind turbines at Rye Park and the proposed clearing of grassy box wood land, will have on the superb parrots that visit the area to nest and raise their young in the spring and summer months. These are rare birds and their successful nesting and breeding relies on corridors of woodland, and uninterrupted flight paths. They are shy and do not like disturbance particularly during summer months.
Not only do the proposed turbines have a negative effect on the wildlife, they also effect humans who chose to live in an urban environment, they are noisy and offer considerable visual pollution to an area people live in for the quality and peace of the life style.

I am in full support of the Rye Park Wind Farm and any other Wind farm that is proposed. The benefits of Renewable Energy of any form must be considered over fossil fuel use. Clean Energy is a must for our country, environment and future. Our local community from farmers to businesses will benefit greatly from a wind farm. History has shown when the farmers have money the entire rural community does well. The turbines will allow Host landholders to invest in their farms with a flow on effect to the community, farmers are an aging part of the population, it would be great to think the next generation will want to take the farms over in a healthy state.

I do not live in the Rye Park area but am 100% for investing in and implementing renewable energy resources for the future, and wind farms are proven to be an efficient means of power generation!

I support the Rye Park project because I know that wind farms bring great economic benefits by:

1. attracting investment and jobs
2. putting downward pressure on power prices
3. improving energy supply security
4. complementing traditional rural industries

The renewable energy sector has already attracted $20 billion in new investment to Australia. That number will increase substantially out to 2020, and the renewable energy sector will generate new jobs for local contractors supplying wind energy projects. More than 20,000 Australians were employed in the renewable energy sector in 2015, and the sector is set to generate many thousands more jobs in rural and regional Australia by 2020.

Recent ACIL-Allen modelling for the Warburton review of the Renewable Energy Target demonstrated that renewable energy puts downward pressure on power prices in Australia. Not only do wind and green technologies bring increased competition to the energy sector in Australia, wind generators can operate more cheaply than traditional fossil fuel generators too.

Renewable energy provides a hedge against rising gas prices. While gas prices have dramatically increased in the recent past due to linkages with international markets, renewable energy supply prices are predictable and low. Greater utilisation of renewable sources like wind can boost energy security, and may even free up more gas for export. The cost of renewable wind energy, unlike gas, is predictable and not subject to price volatility, and wind energy will play an important and growing role in Australia's energy mix.

Renewable energy sources like the wind are secure sources of energy, and free in terms of fuel costs. While setting up the infrastructure to harness these sources does require up front investment, transitioning Australia's energy sector to utilise more renewable energy is absolutely key to a secure and affordable energy supply into the future.

Australia and its communities have the great benefit of first class renewable energy resources, and the potential to be an energy superpower in a carbon-constrained world economy. Some communities have the luck of being able to capitalise on this renewable energy opportunity. Rye Park and its community can harness the benefits, employment, and new industry of a renewable energy project like Rye Park, while enjoying its continuing and traditional rural and agricultural industries.

Good luck to Trustpower and Rye Park!

17 June 2016

Upon reading the local online paper for last week, I am shocked to find that this proposal is still going ahead.

I object to this problem on many levels from impact on our environment (including roadways) during both construction and deconstruction as well as audio and visual impacts; however, these have been outlined in many other objection submissions so I don't see the need to repeat them, simply to note that I support these objections.

My major objection is the visual impact. Why do these proposals still include bladed turbines. Work on BLADELESS WIND TURBINES is currently under way and these would not impact on birds and would not have the audio impact as well as being a more attractive option than a bladed wind turbine.

It would be horrendous to find that in 5 years time, bladeless wind turbines are fully functional and proposed for new wind farms and our corner of the world is stuck with bladed wind turbines that won't be decommissioned for at least 25 years. I think if wind farms must be built, they should henceforth be BLADELESS WIND TURBINES - this might provide a good compromise between the perceived need for wind farms and none of us wanting bladed wind turbines.

I completely support the Rye Park Wind Farm Project and encourage others to support this as well.

Having grown up on a farm in the nearby community of Rugby, I strongly believe the Rye Park Wind Farm Project will provide a great asset not only to local farmers, but the entire community, as this will not only increase land and farming prices, but also bring jobs and people to the community, increase infrastructure to the area (i.e. upgrade of roads) and will no doubt create a flow on affect for other industries to grow, including schooling and possibly even tourism.

I currently live in the Newcastle/Hunter region and see the damage the fossil fuel/coal industry is doing to the local community and land/coastal area on a daily basis, both from a health and environmental prospective. Whilst this industry still has a place in the Australian energy sector, it is clearly time for renewable energy resources to advance. We can no longer deny wind energy as one of the prime renewable energy resources of the future, so why limit the Rye Park and surrounding areas to agriculture, given it is such a valuable resource for wind?

Whilst I understand some residents may not wish to have this amazing renewable energy resource on their doorstep, we as a society no longer have the option to pick and choose. As a society that relies on electricity more and more, we must be more energy conscious and this should start from where we derive our energy from - in a clean, quiet, economical and efficient manner.

In any business proposal a risk-analysis must be performed and in this instance it is extremely clear that the financial and environmental benefits far out-weight any perceived impact on health and the environment, let alone the impact wind turbines would have on the visual impact of the land. Most people I know believe wind turbines are graceful and some even consider them to be a work of art. Without question they are much easier on the eye than large mining sites or coal ports. I certainly know my young children love driving past the wind turbines near Crookwell and Lake George. We should encourage our children to look towards the future and see how this technology can assist the community with such a limited impact to the environment.

I strongly believe the Rye Park Wind Farm Project is just one of many wind farm projects that should be approved in the near future, not only for the benefit of the local community but also for the benefit of the entire Australian population, now and in the future. I honestly believe our children and children's children will be bitterly disappointed in our generation if we are unable to come together and get this achieved in the near future.

As previously stated by another supporter of wind farms in Australia, if you go with an open mind you cannot help see their beauty and grace: quietly powering our energy-hungry life styles while doing very little harm to the environment.

I am strongly in favour of Renewable Energy in general and this project in particular.

We cannot wait any longer to take decisive action on climate change. We must conserve energy wherever possible and make a smooth but rapid transition to Renewable Energy.

Solar and wind farms are the way of the future and must be not only allowed but actively encouraged.