Uungula Wind Farm

I object to the project working outside the curfew hours as stated in Section 4.6.3.1 in the EIS Document and have attached exerts from that section.
I would like the following Questions answered in relation to 4.6.3.1 -
1) Who is the SECRETARY?
2) Is the Secretary a paid representative of CWP Renewables?
3) or is the Secretary a Government employee?
4) What is the Secretary's credentials?
5) Will residents along the Twelve Mile Road be notified about traffic breaking these curfew working hours?
6) and if not, why?
7) What are the Secretary's contact details if they have the power to authorize extended work and traffic movement outside of the curfew hours?
8) What is their mobile number and email address?
9) Will everyone be given these contact details and if not, why?
10) Will the Twelve Mile Road upgrades be within the curfew hours as well?
11) The residents along the Twelve Mile Road will be highly impacted by the road works and by the increased volume of traffic along the road for approx 36 months from when the project starts and I believe that we should be given respect by the proponents to keep within these working hours as much as possible because our lives will be totally changed and challenged by putting up with all the added noise and vehicle movements within the designated working hours and I personally don't want that after hours as well.
Please respect what little privacy that we will have left over this time period!!!

I object to the proposed Uungula wind farm on the grounds of a severely inadequate Biodiversity Assessment. Please refer to my detailed submission attached.

I strongly object to the Uungula Wind Farm project because of the visual and noise impacts of the turbines. Also the impact upon the landscape and have an immediate effect upon land value. Increasingly, I am on the view that there is some validity on the health effects. This will destroy our peaceful, harmonious and existence in Rural NSW.

I am opposed to the Uungula Wind Farm project citing noise, visual, health and environmental concerns. It would have unacceptable visual impacts to the surrounding landscape affecting a beautiful rural scene. Another concern the damage to health and sleep from Infrasound and Low Frequency Noise this has been known since 1980's and has been known to the wind industry and others for almost thirty years. Residents living near these environmental noise pollution facilities describe a range of symptoms which include symptoms also described in Meniere's disease (nausea, vertigo, tinnitus) and physiological stress. These adverse health impacts are a huge concern and should not be ignored, there is evidence.

I am a fourth generation farmer on the property "Glenwood" situated directly to the north of the proposed wind farm development, we have been consulted from the beginning of the planning process which we have appreciated and originally were invited to be involved and host at least 5 turbine sites on our farm and the related infrastructure roads. We declined this offer without hesitation because of the destruction such a development would cause to our unique landscape and the fauna and flora, we also declined the offer of a very generous neighborhood agreement on advise from our solicitors who believed such an agreement was all about the developers taking away our property rights and our right to object to the project. It is my personal view that this development is not about clean green energy and doing the right thing rather it is just another corporation trying to make lots of money just as coal companies do already and the ethics for both companies remain the same. In this submission I would like to concentrate on 3 sections objecting to the wind-farm development and the way in which the EIS does not pass the due diligence test rather it is just ticking a box for government and the developers, however I also am pragmatic about this project eventually going ahead.

1. Grassy White Box Woodlands
The development site and surrounding farms is a landscape identified as "Grassy White Box Woodlands and derived grasslands" which is prevalent on the western slopes of the great dividing range from Queensland down into Victoria, this landscape is both unique and endangered. At present more than 80% of the area identified before European settlement has been cleared and less than 5% is in a good condition, this area east of Wellington is one of the few remaining communities which i believe in 2006 was listed as a national threatened species and ecological community. On Glenwood we are a part of a Grassy White Box Woodland and derived grasslands environmental stewardship program covering 1700 hectares, we are bound in this agreement to managing the area in a certain way to improve the biodiversity and protect an endangered ecological community. I understand that the Wind-farm development needs to offset the development site with similar land, however I don't believe the significance of this ecological community has been properly outlined in the EIS, particularly appendix G and H.

2. Endangered Flora and Fauna including the Superb Parrot
The fauna and flora within the wind farm development are included as a part of appendix G and H. In my opinion this assessment has not been thorough enough and lacks the detail required for such a significant landscape and having lived in this ecological community for 50 years fails to even properly identify all the endangered and threatened species which live here but also what they do here.
In appendix H in reference to the Superb parrot the EIS states -
"The Project is not located within any key breeding areas for the Superb Parrot or Swift Parrot and therefore is
considered unlikely to support an important population. Both of these species have known and defined breeding
habitats, to the south around Boorowa NSW and Tasmania respectively. These species may use the locality
sporadically for foraging on flowering plants during their migratory flights, in particular, the Superb Parrot has
been recorded within the Study Area."
I can tell you that I believe this is wrong and in fact the superb parrot does nest in this locality along the Uamby Creek and Ben Buckley Creek. Further research needs to be undertaken before this project is approved to ascertain whether they also may nest on the Uungula creek and even along the foreshore of Burrendong dam. The superb parrot is an endangered species and have nesting sites in 3 known locations - south west slopes(around Boorowa), Murray river (around Edward River) and Murrumbidgee River. If this locality can be confirmed it would be only the fourth site in Australia and would be new to science, a very big deal!!
I am not an ecologist and after spending some time with a trained ecologist i now know how little we know about the flora and fauna on our farms, in fact an ecologist working on a neighboring farm has just observed approximately 250 bird species alone. Discussing this with an ecologist he observed that the superb parrot in particular is prone to hitting the turbines thus further endangering this population, in fact we are hearing rumors that the existing Bodangora Wind-farm is finding too many Superb Parrots dead around their turbines upon inspection. Can we risk a potential nesting site with such a development or at least completing another in depth ecological survey?
There is also the Regent Honey-eater which has suitable habitat within the wind-farm site, however has not been identified in the EIS, again further work needs to be completed to ensure we are not destroying an important habitat, the ecologist working next door believes there are Regent Honey-eaters in this area.
I could go on and on about the unique flora and fauna in this ecological community but my point has to be that the EIS has not effectively surveyed the flora and fauna in the site and there needs to be undertaken another survey before the project is approved.
Other fauna not identified in the EIS that I know of in this area include - Spotted Quoll, Glossy Black Cockatoo, Stone Faced Curlew

3. Changing our landscape forever
I can not say it enough, we live in a unique ecological community of which it can not be found anywhere else in the world. once these turbines are completed we have changed the landscape and the ecological community for ever. We may not be able to see the turbines from our house of residence, but we live and work on the farm every day and we will have to look at and hear these turbines where ever we are on the farm. We will never get back our landscape and our aesthetics, so every due diligence needs to be undertaken to ensure that when this project goes ahead the wind company and the landholders involved understand the ramifications of this development on the ecological communities and the people who have chosen not to host the wind towers. This is not about the greater good this is about making money and realistically is no different to having a coal mine next door, just a different type of pollution!!

To conclude I understand that I can not stop this development however i do feel that the EIS does not have enough detail particularly in regard to the unique ecological community in which we live and farm. It seems to me that the survey was done to suit the development and due diligence has not been taken to ensure that threatened species are not put at further risk due to these towers. For us this is not jealousy toward our neighbors who have accepted the development on their farms as we have already rejected twice the offer of income, rather it is about protecting our unique landscape for future generations.
I EXPECT TO HEAR FROM THIS SUBMISSION THAT THERE WILL BE A NEW ECOLOGICAL SURVEY COMMENCED WHICH INCLUDES THE WINDFARM SITE AND ALSO ADJOINING LAND TO DETERMINE THE FLORA AND FAUNA AND TO LOOK PROPERLY AT THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT TO THE ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY.
Kind Regards
Norman Smith

Attached is my submission to Uungula Wind Farm

People are drawn to live here by the spectacular natural scenery - why would people want to come to live here in a place where there are industrial turbines. The visual impact of this project is too great. My concern is noise and health problems. There are widespread concerns about the impact of wind farms on rural communities, there should be an immediate halt to wind farm developments until the potential health impacts were better understood. Some councils such as Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council in relation to the Jupiter Wind Farm, was rejected by the NSW Government in February 2018. It was stopped because the local council recognised the effects wind turbines would have on the area and they stood with the people. Wind energy advocates are chiefly motivated by the desire for profit, not about preserving rural communities or the interest of the majority of its landholders.

This project will aid in the transition to a low carbon economy by supplying clean electricity to households and businesses in New South Wales. The project is located in the Central West Renewable Energy Zone, which the state government has identified as an ideal location for wind and solar farms. The inclusion of a 150 megawatt battery as part of the project will also help ensure grid reliability.

I support the Uungula Wind Farm. I am a Wind Turbine Technician living in Glen Innes NSW and working at Sapphire Windfarm. There are many similarities between the two windfarms so I feel I am in a position to vouch for Uungula based of my experience at Sapphire. I am originally from Gold Coast, QLD and moved here for a permanent technician. I brought my wife with me, a doctor, who is now servicing glen innes. We are an example renewable jobs breathing life into rural communities.

I am a local landholder and farmer. I am in full support of the proposed wind farm and believe that it will greatly benefit the local area.
The wind farm will provide opportunities in the form of local jobs and will contribute to the local economy through the flow on effects of construction.
I believe that the social and environmental impacts will be well managed. The company has been great at engaging with the community and has done a good job at making sure that all local interests have been considered in the design of the wind farm.
Additionally, both nationally and globally, we should be looking to these alternative sources of sustainable energy to limit the impacts of climate change. Wind power offers a great alternative to traditional coal and gas power plants.
In summary, I feel strongly that the proposal should be approved.

I am a local landholder and farmer. I am in full support of the proposed wind farm and believe that it will greatly benefit the local area.
The wind farm will provide opportunities in the form of local jobs and will contribute to the local economy through the flow on effects of construction.
I believe that the social and environmental impacts will be well managed. The company has been great at engaging with the community and has done a good job at making sure that all local interests have been considered in the design of the wind farm.
Additionally, both nationally and globally, we should be looking to these alternative sources of sustainable energy to limit the impacts of climate change. Wind power offers a great alternative to traditional coal and gas power plants.
In summary, I feel strongly that the proposal should be approved.

I am in full support of the proposed wind farm and believe that it will greatly benefit the local area.
The wind farm will provide opportunities in the form of local jobs and will contribute to the local economy through the flow on effects of construction.
I believe that the social and environmental impacts will be well managed. The company has been great at engaging with the community and has done a good job at making sure that all local interests have been considered in the design of the wind farm.
Additionally, both nationally and globally, we should be looking to these alternative sources of sustainable energy to limit the impacts of climate change. Wind power offers a great alternative to traditional coal and gas power plants.
In summary, I feel strongly that the proposal should be approved.

Please see attached

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to express my support for the Uungula Wind Farm. The manner in which this project has been handled has seen neighbouring land holders change their view from being completely against the proposal to now being satisfied with their position beside the proposed turbines. This is a remarkable turnaround & is the result of an exhaustive, & no doubt very expensive, consultative period undertaken by CWP.
I feel that Wellington has been crying out for an economic injection for several decades & the renewable energy developments now taking place around our town are proving to be that much needed economic injection. The flow-on benefits through the town in terms of job opportunities & improved business conditions will be felt for a very long time to come & I see this as a significant win for Wellington & its people.
I am in strong support of this project.

Project is supported based on appropriate consideration of the concepts/concerns described in the attached NHMRC statement

Please see my submission in form of a PDF attachment