Winterbourne Wind Farm

I support the Winterbourne Wind Farm proposal. It is strategically aligned with the NSW Net Zero Emissions target, the Federal Government's climate commitments, the AEMO ISP, the climate science, Australia's international Paris Agreement obligations and the global energy transformation needs. I am happy to answer any questions on Climate Energy Finance's submission as required. Thank you Tim Buckley, Director CEF, [email protected]

See attached.

I wish to object to the proposal presented by Winterbourne Wind in its entirety. My family have purchased a property that abuts the project (SR007) only two years ago. I have made future plans for my education based on the hobby farm wanting to study Agriculture when I finish my HSC. The project will severely impact Arran Park with relation to:
Natural Landscape
Traffic
Noise
Bush Fires
Communication
Visual amenity
Future Value
Resale Value
The project in its entirety will impact the town of Walcha. The traffic alone is something I can't even comprehend when currently there is no traffic to speak of. Driving to town and in future for university will take a lot longer. We live 30kms away from town and it generally takes half an hour to get there. Right now I have been visiting the property on weekends and during my school holidays. It takes at least 5 hours currently to drive from Sydney to Walcha and I am worried about the impact the construction phase will have on commuting. When I finish my HSC, I was planning on attending university to study agriculture and now I feel that my plans will need to change as I wouldn't be able to commute.
I have always admired the scenic outlook of Arran Park and am worried it will be substantially altered by the development. I have viewed the photo montage and cannot believe the amount of Wind Turbines that will be seen from our beautiful spot. We often sit together and look out over the view in the evenings to watch the sunset.
I know we need renewable energy this is a topic of intense discussion at school. My home here in Sydney and the one in Walcha have both got solar power installed. This isn't an issue to me as I don't see it seeing that it is on the roof. In fact, I have never really noticed it at all. The wind turbines however are enormous standing at 230m tall. When I read that they use up to 800 cubic tonnes of concrete as footings I wonder whether that can ever be justified as environmentally friendly. How will they be removed when the life of the project is complete. I tried to research just how much of a carbon footprint the Wind Turbines have in manufacture and installation. I guess delivery uses a lot of resources too seeing there are so many trucks coming to town to deliver the Turbines, water, gravel, basically everything they need to build them but most of all the impact of all of those trucks driving around constantly for 30 months! Has an evaluation of just how much fuel, emissions and resources will be used to complete the project? I found that information on total carbon neutral for wind turbines is hard to find as the renewable energy enthusiasts don't consider every aspect of the emissions including delivery - that also includes shipping from China. I know it would have to be extrapolated somewhere I just haven't been able to find those answers in the EIS.
I worry for all of the animals that will be impacted by the entire project as often I see road kill and certainly we've dodged a few animals on my trips up to visit the farm. Then there is the issue of Bird strike of one of the most majestic birds I've seen, the Wedge Tailed Eagle. One of my favourites.
As I am studying for my HSC I haven't had the time to write all the reasons in detailed points as to how this will effect me and my future along with the property and the community. I have read a submission from my mum and hope that covers all the impacts with enough detail to warrant a review of the proposal. The project is not something that I support and hope that the Planning Department can see that this is a precious Bio-diverse region and will do everything it can to protect it.
Lately it hasn't rained so much and the ground has become crispy and dry. We have a lot of trees up to 50 acres at Arran Park and I always worry about Bush fires. I am concerned that disturbing the current environment and using a lot of equipment could spark a fire as we are remote and hard to get to being 30kms from the town. I am also concerned about the amount of water that will need to be used as we completely rely on rain out here. If our tanks are empty and the dams are empty how will we fight fires? If the proposal causes a fire will they take responsibility?
The roads currently are challenging to drive on as the recent rain has washed some away! The proposal states they are widening roads so that they can get the trucks in. Why wouldn't they pick a spot that has infrastructure already in place? They have to truck everything here - we know as its difficult to get anything delivered to Walcha its not on the way to anywhere - you don't pass through on the way to somewhere else. I would have thought to expedite the installation of these structures you would want to be closer to the coast where there is ample water, electricity supply, roads and services for the workers such as accommodation. Walcha is a little town that attracts a lot of tourists - where will they go now? They will stop visiting due to traffic and lack of places to stay. Will they come back to visit Walcha when we have changed the landscape so significantly?
I just think they could build the structures closer to where the transmissions lines are currently. No one likes the look of the big towers for power, I know when we were looking for a property we didn't look at ones close to the towers even though those properties were a lot cheaper.
I believe the development will reduce the value of our property based on that. Anytime we looked at somewhere nice to stay or buy those towers have made us look elsewhere. I think if they do approve the project at the very least they could put as much as possible underground.
There is a lot of ground clearing required for each turbine, I read on average 2 acres per turbine. I always hear that we need to protect habitat as Koalas only eat certain types of leaves and this region has those in abundance. We shouldn't disturb habitat saying its for generating power thats like prioritising future power needs over the environment. We should do everything we can to protect the environment not tear it down saying we are protecting the environment - it makes no sense.
I hope the proposal isn't approved, I'm sure in a country as large as Australia and a state as large as New South Wales we could find a more appropriate place for them.
Cheers
Luca

I am Fiona Thompson (nee Young),
Thank you for the opportunity to submit an objection paper against the EIS put together by Vestas for the Winterbourne Wind Project and associated proposals.
I was lucky to grow up in the Walcha district and I remain a member of the Walcha community through my family ties, regular visits, and involvement in my family pastural enterprise, Glen Collin Pastoral Co.

Walcha is a rare gem! Our district hosts what has been a close-knit community, rich in history and culture and united by passion for art, progressive agriculture and tourism. It offers some of Australia’s most picturesque and diverse national parks which encompass both valuable and fragile ecosystems. Walcha and the new England Tablelands houses some of the most valuable high rainfall grazing land in Australia, producing the highest quality red meat and fine wool delivering a significant economic contribution to the Australian agricultural industry.

The role of the Vestas’ EIS should be factual, informative, and transparent information for the developers to gain community trust in their proposed planning.

Upon reviewing parts of the EIS document (and observing Vesta’s, associated investors and host landholders’ behaviour in community meetings, papers and social occasions), I have found the EIS and other forms of their communication to lack integrity, misinform and reactive, rather that proactive. The objective of the Vestas proposal is clear – profits for their stakeholders, not sustainable energy for the wider Australian community!

I would like to highlight my concerns around the social, environmental, and economic impact of the Winterbourne Wind proposal.

Social impact
• Dishonest and vague community engagement. Despite the proposal being in planning for a number of years, Vestas has failed to inform the community of plans, risks and changes this development will bring to the community.
• No consultation for neighbouring landholders. Neighbours of host landholders have not been consulted by hosts and not compensated for sound, flicker, flashing night lights, visual amenity, construction activity and loss of capital value that the development has imposed upon them. Furthermore, Vestas has instead encouraged their investors / host landholders to keep any information under wraps.
• Our health and animal health is at risk. From continuous noise and vibration, blade flicker and (during construction) dust inhalation.

Environmental impact
• Native ecosystems and biodiversity are at risk! Due to construction against the ecosystems within the Oxley Wild Rivers National park, part of the World Heritage Gondwana Rain Forests. Concerns with this proximity relate to construction run-off directly impacting the Park and the Macleay Catchment and River itself. Diminished capacity to deploy aerial support to fight fires, as well as the destruction of wildlife corridors into and out of the Park.
• Water is precious and particularly valuable to our livestock and agricultural industries. EIS suggests the requirement for 150 Megalitres. EIS also states 6ML for concrete foundations, but simple arithmetic of 20% of 750cu.m per foundation x 119 turbines gives 17.8ML. Similarly, dust suppression has been understated using industry estimates.

Economic impact
• Road damage - Leading to extensive road user delays and stoppages. Our roads are simply not made for these vehicle weights, and this heavy traffic intensity. Roads will be heavily damaged, have shortened life and will need to be rebuilt on a large scale. Our district will fit the bill, not the developer!
• The project will have a negative impact on tourism. Our stunning landscape is what attracts tourists up the mountain to enjoy Walcha’s national parks, picturesque bike rides and art culture. Wind turbines will transform our natural beauty to an industrial wasteland. The roads will be damaged, dangerous and congested, tourists will avoid the area where our local cafes and retails will suffer and eventually close, financially devastating to many local businesses and families.

The New England Tablelands already plays host to extensive renewable energy projects. The Metz Solar Farm as an example spans 430 ha and generates renewable energy to supply up to 40,000 Australian households each year; more than half of the total 66,000 households in the region.

Walcha is progressive, Walcha is accommodating, and Walcha embraces practices for a sustainable future. But wind is not for Walcha.

Many thanks
Fiona Thompson

On behalf of Voice for Walcha please see the attached community submission

It’s so important that we transition to renewable energy as quickly as possible. We are already seeing the impacts of climate change with drought and floods and bushfires in Australia. We need to do our part to reduce carbon dioxide and wind energy is a fantastic solution. It will also be great for the local community with jobs created and ongoing income. I strongly support this project.

I support the Winterbourne wind farm project.. we need to stop burning coal and transition to clean energy...Please approve this project .

As a cattle farming business within the Walcha area, we wish to lodge an objection to the development of the Winterbourne Wind Farm. We believe this project will have detrimental outcomes on our business including transportation issues and delays. These delays, stoppages and intermittent road closures will affect our sale and purchasing opportunities, as well as result in negative animal welfare issues due to increased travel time and route issues. The Winterbourne Wind Farm EIS states that water will be sourced from bores, farm dams, harvestable rights or from the Walcha Council supply (which council have assured the community will not be the case). The staggering and significant amount of water that this project requires will negatively effect our water table and leave farmers and the community at risk of water shortages for personal and business use. Vestas have not consulted adequately with the community regarding the development of this project. As a business, we were only made aware of this project in 2022 through word of mouth in the community. This project does not hold a social license within our community and has created division and uncertainty on both a personal and business level.

Australia needs more renewables.
I believe Walcha will benefit financially from this project.

The Winterbourne Wind Farm is overall a positive contribution towards limiting emissions whilst having a primarily small disturbance footprint. It is key to providing the rural community of Walcha with economic stimulus, job creation, new & upgraded roads and support for households to reduce energy and energy costs. Having seen and been part of the environmental and community benefits of wind farms first hand a decade ago in Portugal, it is timely for Australia to locally contribute and promote renewable energy generation in suitable locations where possible. This scoping report and supporting assessments appear to carefully consider the impacts of Walcha. Development of the Winterbourne Wind Farm will provide current and future financial and social benefits for the community, whilst playing an important part in climate change.
In my support for the project I acknowledge and accept the Departments disclaimer and declaration.

I wholly support this project,
this project is of major benefit to both NSW and the country, with the closure of coal fired power stations upon us, this project allows power generation for and industry and homes across the state.
It will provide a new industry in the area, with local jobs and spending, a benefit to local business and the community, not to mention an increase in tourism as evidenced by similar projects in similar town located in the New England.
There will be some inconvenience to the community in the construction period, as with all all projects, but they are short lived and not extreme, with the benefit far out weighing any slight perceived inconvenience

The proposed Winterbourne Wind Farm project is thoughtfully conceived and well developed, and worthy of development consent.

The project will deliver over 2000 GWh of clean renewable energy annually, sufficient to supply several hundred thousand typical NSW homes. The Australian Energy Market Operator forecasts that 60% of the existing coal generation fleet in Australia will be taken out of service by 2030. Unless renewable energy generation projects like the proposed Winterbourne project, and many others like it, are developed and delivered in the next decade there is a very real prospect that we will face an energy generation shortfall. Given the development cycle for utility-scale renewable energy projects, it is imperative that this project is approved and delivered over the next few years.

The proposal will directly benefit over 50 host landowners and neighbours. The annual income from the wind farm will enable host landowners to hedge against drought, bushfire, and cyclical commodity prices. The project will create several hundred construction jobs and a meaningful number of ongoing service and maintenance jobs. These jobs will bring new skills and new people into the local economy. The economic activity during construction and ongoing operation will see tens of millions of dollars pumped into the local economy, supporting accommodation providers, restaurants, cafes, grocery stores, engineering and manufacturing businesses, and the broader service economy throughout the New England region.

Finally, the project will deliver a financially significant community benefit fund which will support community initiatives and priorities, ensuring that the broader community also benefits from the project.

The Stone Age didn't end because we ran out of stones, and the Fossil Fuel Age is not ending because we are running out of coal. It is ending because renewable energy is cheaper than coal generation, with none of the air, water, and soil pollution, and none of the global warming emissions. As one step in the energy transition that must occur in NSW and in Australia, this project must be approved, and I urge the Department of Planning and Environment to do so.

WINTERBOURNE WIND FARM EIS
(application SSD-10471, EPBC ID 2020/8734)

I support the construction of Winterbourne Wind Farm.

My reasoning is simple. Australia and more particularly NSW electricity supply needs to transition from burning fossil fuels to generate electricity to supply from renewable generators. The driver for this transition is set by the economics of running old, expensive, difficult to maintain coal generators when cheaper non-polluting renewable energy is available. Also, to meet the timeline for Federal and NSW Government for emissions reduction objectives, renewables must supply 82% of electricity generated in 2030. NSW currently generates about 32% of electricity from renewables and must double the installation rate if the emissions reduction target of 82% by 2030 is to be met.

The NSW Government has recognised the need to facilitate the energy transition by producing a framework for developers, the Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap. A key feature of the EIR is the creation of Renewable Energy Zones with coordinated build of shared infrastructure, particularly transmission. 5 REZs have been defined with the most important in terms of scale and location is the New England REZ with an anticipated 8 GW of RE and proximity to NSW – QLD interconnector, Hunter nascent clean industry and Sydney transmission lines. Within the New England REZ, Winterbourne Wind Farm is one of the largest, well thought through, trail-blazing projects that must rapidly progress to construction for the Government and societal needs for secure low-cost energy to have any chance of success.

The project developers have spent many years gaining the trust of landholders to join with them and share the benefits of building the Winterbourne Wind Farm. The broader community also benefits directly through profit sharing and 16 new full time jobs, to inject a significant sustainable economic boost to the region.

We bought our property "Tarrilli" over 10 years ago. We relocated from the Hunter Valley wanting a quiet and isolated place to live. We purposely chose this area so that we would not see neighbours, infrastructure, enjoy uninterrupted views and not be disturbed.
Our property is on the boundary of the proposed transmission lines and we strongly oppose the Winterbourne Wind Project development. We will also be affected by the turbines in the distance along the Blue Mountain ridgeline.
We were approached by representatives of WWF and we made our views very clear to them that we do not want this infrastructure anywhere near our property and certainly not to impact our visual aspect. They would just turn up on our property and drive around unannounced. Not even a phone call to ask if they could come out. It was a total invasion of privacy.
We believe these transmission towers will devalue our land and create health issues for our family.
We have been told the infrasound from the transmission towers and the turbines create health issues for livestock.
The increase in traffic along the major road into Walcha, together with the smaller local roads will create problems for transporting of livestock and our ability to access Walcha, Uralla and Tamworth for medical, business and leisure.

My family have owned and operated rural properties in the Walcha district since 1863. I personally have carried out a family farming operation for the past 47 years. I strongly support the Winterbourne Wind Farm Project for a number of reasons:
1. Create jobs for Walcha
2. Inject tens of millions of dollars into regional NSW as well as a bonus payment to Walcha Community Benefit Fund annually to be used by various sporting groups
3. Wind is one of the cleanest energy generators available
4. Need to move from fossil fuel generation to reduce greenhouse emissions. NSW has a goal of 50% reduction by 2030. This transition needs to start happening now!! especially given the number of existing aging fossil fuel stations to be closed down by 2030.