Thunderbolt Wind Farm

Hi
Just wanting to object to the Thunderbolt wind farm proposal, I am a direct neighbour to this project and I am unhappy with the lack of consultation that Neoen have had with the community,
2- the noise levels on my property on there testing was at the maximum level of 35 decibels
3- property prices will be affected and Neoen hasn’t offered any sort of compensation
4- Kentucky is a heavy populated area with lots of life style properties , noise flashing red lights and shadow flicker
5- Koala habitat , shake trees until Koala falls into a net and then what ? Relocate to another area where different habitats and predators live ,aren’t KOALAS endangered?
6- roads and infrastructure
I have lived here for 20 years and been in the earth moving and road transport for also 20 years , this country is Granite country and has not got a lot of top soil so is prone to erosion very easily so with the proposed roads it will change all the eco dynamics of the area this causing silting of creeks and natural water courses affecting Marine habitat

I am not against renewable energy , but there are places where it will work , but here in Kentucky I think it’s the wrong location
Thank You Steven Rhodes

To Whom it may concern, Thunderbolt Wind Farm
(SSD-10807896)
Bev Jeff Cameron
6290 New England High Way Kentucky
My family and I wish to object to the proposed Thunderbolt wind farm,
The location of the towers is considerably close to our home.
It will be very close to the highway and will cause a lot of disruption as they will have used the highway to deliver these turbines to their location’s
The New England Highway has already had lots of fatalities and accidents .
It is proposed that 32 turbines will be built on ‘Kyabra’ to the west of the New England Highway (Stage 1), and another 33 on various properties to the east of New England Highway (Stage 2) later.
The turbines will be the largest turbines ever installed on land in Australia, reaching 270 m at the blade tip. This is the same size as the tallest high-rise building in Sydney.
Each of these turbines will have a red light on its hub that will activate and flash at night. That’s 70 red flashing lights at approximately 180m above ground level, impacting the night sky in the Kentucky district. The reflection will be exaggerated in low cloud conditions.
A substantial gravel road network (55 km for Stage 1 of the project) will be constructed within the catchment to transport the concrete and the huge metal components of the turbines.
The installation of each turbine involves the construction of massive steel and concrete footings, requiring granite rock blasting to install. Each turbine will require approximately 2,990 tonnes of concrete (1,300 m³ x 2.3 t/m³) plus approximately 900 tonnes of steel reinforcing as ballast.
- Inability to undertake aerial firefighting increasing bushfire risk as we have had a bush fire on our property in 2019 it came very close to our house if it was not fixed wing aircraft we would of lots our house.

The area proposed for the wind farm is rated as being of high fire risk. Fire seasons like 2019/2020 are forecast to become more frequent.
Aerial support from fixed wing aircraft and helicopters was critical in a number of instances for the control of fires, with the helicopters flying over the proposed wind turbine area to fill their buckets from our dam to put out the bush fire .
Bushfires are becoming more severe and more challenging. Rural Fire Service volunteers are not getting any younger. This is at a time when a windfarm would be considered an additional valuable asset needing defence by local RFS brigades.
Given this outlook and the horrendous season we went through, the proposed windfarm site is unsuitable from a bushfire hazard and firefighting perspective.
Many buyers seeking attractive rural lifestyle blocks will avoid of areas with wind turbines making sale of the rural lifestyle properties in the district much more difficult, especially for those properties that will be surrounded by both Stage 1 and 2 of the proposal.
Negative impacts on rural and rural-lifestyle landscape beauty and amenity
Local amenity will be significantly impacted by the high visibility of these massive turbines. They will be 6 times higher than, and tower over, the high voltage 330 KV power lines that already traverse the area. The beautiful local landscape that attracted many of the residents will now be dominated by these structures.
Local residents will be impacted by turbine noise, including infrasound, with some residents surrounded on all sides, therefore affected no matter which direction the wind blows from.
Shadow flicker from the spinning blades will affect many residents in the Kentucky area, especially as the sun rises and sets.
The proposed industrial development in a rural and rural-lifestyle district adjacent to the New England Highway halfway between Sydney and Brisbane is inappropriate.

My submission is for all the young people in our district. I feel they are not being heard in this process.

I am objecting to this development due to the total lack of Social Licence on this project. As seems to be the norm in NSW at the moment the residents of Kentucky have been walked over by the State Government and Developers in their electricity panic. In the rush to close coal fired power stations rural people are being treated as second class citizens.(No surprises there) The Community Consultative Committees are just box tickers for the developers. The State Government puts no value on food production in what is a highly productive area. This is a disgrace.
Yours Sincerely , Matt Macarthur Onslow

This is beautiful area with high visual amenity and high environmental values. It also is a rural residential area with a relatively high population density, that is completely unsuited to industrial windfarm development. Many people move to this area because of its beautiful natural values, and the windfarm will damage all this.
Also the windfarm developer Neoen has not properly consulted with the local community, and has deliberately ignored their frequent requests to hold a public meeting, because Neoen believes that the NSW State Government will let them get away with this poor behaviour that contravenes the requirements of the NSW planning legislation.

The developer, Neoen, has conducted an extremely poor and deliberately limited community consultation process. Consequently, many residents do not understand the project, and have not had time to consider its impacts. Some of the direct neighbours to the development have never been contacted or consulted by Neoen.

In two very poor community consultations conducted in Sept. 2021 via Zoom between community members and Neoen staff and their consultants, Neoen had designed the Zoom sessions so that community members were permanently muted. Thus, community members were only able to ask questions by typing into a chat box. Consequently, only Neoen staff and their consultants were able to speak. And of course, there was no discussion allowed, because the community members, were muted. This was a deliberate attempt by Neoen to silence the local community.

This development area is of high environmental value. This development will destroy the local habitat ,and local animal populations such as Koala and Bell's Turtle will be severely imapacted upon. The only valid reason why the developer has chosen this area for a windfarm is because it is close to the high voltage power lines.

I object to this development for the following reasons:

1. Due to Neoen's inadequate community consultation. Complaints of the poor community consultation have previously been registered wth the NSW Minister for Planning.
2. Because of the potentially severe environmental impacts in an area of very high biological diversity and conservation value. The environmental significance of this area was empahasised when the proponent triggered the enforcement of the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) due to the presence of:
• listed threatened species and communities (sections 18 and 18A); and
• listed migratory species (sections 20 and 20A).
For this reason, additional SEARS required by the Federal government have been issued, that Neoen has inadequately addressed in their environmental impact assessment and development application.

Windfarms are better suited to flat, treeless land of low conservation value, and should not be situated in undulating land with good tree cover, and high biological diversity and conservation value, as is this proposed development.

This area is prime Koala habitat, these marsupials are under enough stress without having to be put thru more destruction of their vital habitat. Koalas are an Endangered species with the way climate change is happening because of humans destruction of native trees the Earth is warming up, weather patterns are now EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS. Koalas will be the next to go extinct in the wild & this ridiculous proposed Wind Farm will destroy what little foraging trees are left. I'm appalled that the NSW Government will go back on their stance to PROTECT THIS KOALA SPECIES from Extinction in the Wild. THIS CAN NOT BE ALLOWED TO HO AHEAD

To whom it may concern .
I object to this major project as it will be located within 1.5 klms from mine & my parents home . The proponet Neoen have done Extremely poor consultation , in fact none with my family , which is weird considering we are direct neighbours to this potential mega industrial eyesore .
We live in the stunningly beautiful New England which has been zoned a Rez Zone by the state government , I cannot for the life of me understand why you would want to make this area industrial an area which will be forever changed . This area is rich in beauty and prime agricultural grazing land suitable for both sheep and cattle and the state government want us to farm windfarms which are basically dinosaurs before we even begin they are outdated according to other Countries but we don't use their experience as a reference. Many countries including Australia have found there to be many health issues around turbine use. Infrasound is causing sleep apnoea , koala habitat destruction and other wildlife habitat including the bells turtle , visual amenity , property devaluation , fire fighting issues in an area that cannot easily be accessed , where aerial support is required because of the topography , shadow flicker , mental health issues and not to mention the economic loss of opportunity for future farm plans . The absolute denial from Neoen that they did adequate consultation is absolute rubbish and they continue to be dishonest we demand better community consultation ,we deserve better as a community.

Please find my objection letter attached.

Objection letter attached.

This submission is on behalf of my 12 yo son, who wishes to have his submission counted separately.

Please see my objection letter attached.

We object to the Thunderbolt Wind Farm proposal. We have the following concerns:
-high bush risk area: The area proposed for the wind farm is rated as being of high fire risk. The recent bushfire inquiry emphasised the need for aerial control with more purchases of aircraft. Pilots from the New England and other districts have indicated they would not fly within several kilometres of turbines, especially in the type of mountainous country around Kyabra and the Looanga Creek catchment, due to the danger they would be placing themselves in. This puts communities in the vicinity of these turbines at far greater risk of devastation from bushfires.
-need to use extremely high turbines to capture winds, therefore, winds not sufficient in the area
-Will we be able to insure our lands for fires moving forward if this proposal is approved.
-Neoen has conducted limited community engagement
-Neoen almost impossible to engage with to get information requested multiple times for information and engagement as an affected neighbour
-using old Arial maps that do not identify houses/dwelling/infrastructure etc.
-noise meters located on highway to gather ‘average noise’- not indicative of surrounding lands noise.
-Negative impact on land value- We moved to Kentucky for the lifestyle- away from built environments. There is evidence that the value of our land will be impacted up to 30% when compared with similar blocks not impacted upon by wind turbines. 70 red flashing lights at approximately 180m above ground level, impacting the night sky in the Kentucky district, shadow flicker and turbine noise, 32 high turbines
-impact on endangered ecosystems, flora and fauna, Looanga creek catchment being altered causing erosion, reduced water quality and impacts on spring fed dams and creeks
-identified by involved parties’ solicitor that profits will be sent offshore to Chinese companies
-Neoen has expressed that community funds will not be able to be managed and used by the community, rather by them

I object to the Thunderbolt Wind Farm proposal.
Key concerns:
-impact on endangered ecosystems, flora (endangered Bendemeer White Gum, and various native grass species that are in serious decline across the New England, such as Wallaby Grass, Kangaroo Grass and Silky Brown Top) and fauna (koalas and belle turtle, declining woodland species, platypus) including Looanga creek catchment being altered causing erosion, reduced water quality and impacts on spring fed dams and creeks
-high bush risk area: The area proposed for the wind farm is rated as being of high fire risk. Fire seasons like 2019/2020 are forecast to become more frequent. During the unprecedented bushfires of 2019, local farmers, aerial firefighters and brigades scrambled to extinguish many fires started after the passing of each dry storm to the north and west of ‘Kyabra’, which is proposed to host 32 turbines. Much of the country is rugged, dry sclerophyll forest, and critically endangered box gum woodland. Aerial support from fixed wing aircraft and helicopters was critical in a number of instances for the control of fires, with the helicopters flying over the proposed wind turbine area to fill their buckets at the large dams on ‘Banalasta’. The recent bushfire inquiry emphasised the need for aerial control with more purchases of aircraft. It also emphasised the crucial role played by the ‘mozzies’, farmers with their utes and tanks. Pilots from the New England and other districts have indicated they would not fly within several kilometres of turbines, especially in the type of mountainous country around Kyabra and the Looanga Creek catchment, due to the danger they would be placing themselves in. This puts communities in the vicinity of these turbines at far greater risk of devastation from bushfires. Will we be able to insure our lands for fires moving forward if this proposal is approved????
-Neoen has conducted limited community engagement, including one of the two events being ‘online’ when there was no internet facilities at the event location. Therefore, technical staff where unable to engage and answer community questions and concerns
-identified by involved parties’ solicitor that profits will be sent offshore to Chinese companies
-Neoen has expressed that community funds will not be able to be managed and used by the community, rather by them
-Neoen almost impossible to engage with to get information. Asking time and time again via email and calling for information, proposals, photo montages etc for affected neighbours.
-Jobs created are not created for locals- as seen with solar farm majority of workers are from interstate
-lands that are not involved in the project have been identified as participating in the project
-using old Arial maps that do not identify houses/dwelling/infrastructure etc.
-noise meters located on highway to gather ‘average noise’- not indicative of surrounding lands noise.
-Negative impact on land value- A large number of rural lifestyle farms exist in the Kentucky area. We moved to Kentucky for the lifestyle- away from built environments. There is also evidence they may suffer reductions in value of up to 30% when compared with similar blocks not impacted upon by wind turbines. Negative impacts on rural and rural-lifestyle landscape beauty and amenity. 70 red flashing lights at approximately 180m above ground level, impacting the night sky in the Kentucky district, shadow flicker and turbine noise, 32 high turbines
-rock blasting affects on ecosystem and surrounds to install the turbines
-need to use extremely high turbines to capture winds, therefore, winds not sufficient in the area

I remain entirely suspicious about the level of open disclosure undertaken by the developers and their lack of adequate environmental consideration. The impact that such a large industrial-level project would have on the Kentucky area should not be made justifiable by mere commercial interests (e.g., landowners making large financial gains from ill-disguised monetary incentives from foreign investors etc.) or purported spurious environmental/climatic interests. Claims of an over-riding need for renewable energy at all costs cannot disguise the cynical and hypocritical grounds for this development. Bio-diversity and the protection of exiting flora and fauna, and the unacceptability of the extreme visual and auditory pollution must take precedence over such a blatant, insensitive large-scale degradation of our natural heritage.

I am strongly against the proposed Thunderbolt Wind farm in the Kentucky region based on my concerns for the environment and the impact this proposed wind farm will have on the wildlife in the area. I am a land owner in close proximity of the wind farm, it is not farmed land but virgin bushland with a creek running through it and provides a natural unspoilt habitat for wildlife which will be impacted by any development of wind farms in this area.

I remain entirely suspicious about the level of open disclosure undertaken by the developers and their lack of adequate environmental consideration. The impact that such a large industrial-level project would have on the Kentucky area should not be made justifiable by mere commercial interests (e.g., landowners making large financial gains from ill-disguised monetary incentives from foreign investors etc.) or purported spurious environmental/climatic interests. Claims of an over-riding need for renewable energy at all costs cannot disguise the cynical and hypocritical grounds for this development. Bio-diversity and the protection of exiting flora and fauna, and the unacceptability of the extreme visual and auditory pollution must take precedence over such a blatant, insensitive large-scale degradation of our natural heritage.

I am writing this to oppose the potential windfarm located at Uralla-Kentucky NSW.

I myself and many many others, who care about our native wildlife in and around this area are urging you and your colleagues to please stop this proposed wind farm development from going ahead.

It has also been brought to the attention of myself and others that prior to felling, Neoen will be ‘shaking habitat trees’ with heavy machinery as appropriate to encourage fauna to abandon trees.

Picture the shaking - koalas, squirrel gliders, eastern pigmy possum, large eared pied bat, grey headed flying fox, pale headed snake, regent honeyeater, swift parrot, white throated needle tail, boorolong frog. These are all found on this proposed site… their rightful home.

This is completely outrageous and in many peoples views a totally barbaric method to try and disperse the wildlife that have inhabited that area for a lot longer than we have.
Also, given what farmers are legally bound to do to ensure livestock health & welfare; why then are you and your
co-workers allowed to treat these beautiful native and mostly endangered animals in such a horrific fashion, to which they will be frightened out of their skins and will inevitably run away, scared out of their minds and into other areas that will be a complete danger to them which undoubtably will cause their deaths 💔😪

Clearly the foreign absentee owners have a care factor of zero and quite frankly, myself and the other extremely concerned people feel that these people have absolutely no interest in Australia’s beautiful and unique wildlife, which pretty much all are native to Australia.

Again, I myself and many many people are asking you, urging you to please not go ahead with this wind farm proposal.

Thank you for your time and understanding 🙏

Yours sincerely

The Thunderbolt Energy Hub is utter madness and is angering and dividing our community .
32 -37 massive turbines are to be erected approximately 1.5 klms from our house , 270 metres high nearly as big as the centre point tower at 305m.
this size has never been used on land so why are we to be the test pilots for this , we are used beautiful green rolling ,rocky hills not large scale industrial wind turbines !!
We are asked if we`d rather live near a coal mine which maddens me as we don`t. We live in the beautiful New England thats why we live here ,amongst pristine wilderness , waterfalls and wildlife , why are they trying to turn it into another industrial landscape like the hunter. It may be too late for the recovery of the hunter valley which has been devastated by industry havent we learnt anything ?
We are direct neighbours of this potential disaster it will change how we do everything when it comes to running our farming enterprise . The massive roads will change the hydrology and create erosion it will create irrepairable damage and fragmentation of the landscape .
this property is home to Eagles , bells turtles ( endangered species) koala habitat on surrounding land and beyond ,are these animals to be considered collateral damage !!
interesting considering the state government has just released $191,000.00 to support natural habitat .\
red night lights , shadow flicker and large scale industrial nosie to ruin a beautiful pristine country area all in aid of large scale windfarm at our expense .
Our home and lifestyle , farming operation will never be the same , this property is to be divided between our children in sucession planning .
We have grave concerns with the large amounts of traffic on country roads and highways as the new england hwy in the propossed area is already a black spot with numerous accidents to many to mention.
Our mental health has taken a beating in the last 3 years it has been incredibly hard , its hard to fight against a multinational company with all their resources when we are stumbling around trying to stand up for our rights .
we are not against renewable energy just wrong locations if it was a a solar farm it would be a different situation as we wouldn`t have to look at it or hear it , please reconsider this project .