Winterbourne Wind Farm

Wind turbines are a clean, renewable, and sustainable source of energy that can bring many benefits to our both our local and wider community. The installation of wind turbines will not only help to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, but it will also help to lower our carbon footprint and contribute to the fight against climate change.

Moreover, having wind turbines installed in our area will bring economic opportunities to the community. The construction and maintenance of wind turbines may create jobs for local residents, and the revenue generated into the community fund by the turbines can be used to improve our infrastructure and services. This will help to boost our local economy and provide long-term benefits for all members of the community.

Another important benefit of wind turbines is that they are a reliable source of energy. Unlike fossil fuels, wind is a free resource that is not subject to price fluctuations or supply disruptions, which means that it can provide a stable source of electricity for our community.

Lastly, we have a moral and social responsibility to take action on climate change, and investing in wind turbines is a practical step we can take to reduce our carbon footprint and pave the way for a cleaner and more sustainable future for all of us.

In conclusion, installing wind turbines in our community is a smart and responsible choice that will bring many benefits for our environment, economy and overall well-being.

Please see attachment for objection justification.

I believe the Winterbourne Wind Farm will have long term positive outcomes for the Walcha district.
It will create desperately needed employment
Assist in filling the gap in electricity production caused by the closure of coal fired power stations
Be a boost to the economy of Walcha, the construction phase, ongoing payments to the landholders, community fund and employees will all be a continuing source of revenue to the towns stores and facilities
It will add to the wonder that is Walcha, by adding renewable energy powerhouse to the already long list of Walcha's attributes.
I believe Vestas has done enough in this EIS to alleviate any issues I have had regarding short term impacts to the town during the construction phase.

Winterbourne Wind plant
Walcha
21/1/2021
I respectfully submit my opposition to the proposed Winterbourne Wind Plant. Our objection is based on numerous environmental hazards posed by this development in an area of sensitive environment, and numerous hazards posed to the health of the human communities in the region of the wind EG plant. No other development with such potential for environmental harm would be allowed in this area of agricultural and social value.
Wind Plants must be confined to areas of poor quality country, away from human settlements and natural ecosystems that support precious Australian flora and fauna. In a continent that is largely desert, or marginal country at best, it is short sighted and reckless of governments to allow our limited, vegetated areas to be damaged, contaminated and segmented by wind plants such as the Winterbourne Wind plant.
“The blades from environmentally friendly subsidised bird- and bat-chomping inefficient wind turbines have a short life and cannot be recycled. They weigh 10-20 tonnes, are 40-100 metres long, need to be replaced every 15 years or less and are composed of plastic, fibreglass, balsa wood and resins. Balsa wood is produced by chopping down Brazilian rainforests….. Fibreglass is impregnated with epoxy resins to increase blade strength and are made from petroleum. …
Bisphenol A is a highly toxic synthetic organic compound used in the epoxy resins of turbine blades. Epoxy resins contain 30-40% bisphenol A and turbine blades are the largest global consumer of epoxy resins. The annual global production of bisphenol A is about 2 billion kilograms and is increasing because the spearing of the environment with wind turbines is today’s fad.
Bisphenol A is an endocrine disrupter and that has been linked to about 80 diseases including cancers and reproductive disorders. It is lethal for young children. In 2012, the World Health Organisation warned about the potentially carcinogenic properties of endocrine disrupters and concluded that they pose a global threat to public health. The European Food Safety Authority has massively reduced by 1,000 times the dietary intake of bisphenol-A to one hundred millionth of a gram per kilogram of body weight per day. All this is public record information which the wind industry must know.
The leading edge of turbine blades shed fine dust and blade edges only have a 5-year guarantee. Each blade sheds a minimum of 0.2 to 2.5 grams of bisphenol A in dust per year. This dust is spread wide and far by wind. If one gram of bisphenol A gets into dam waters, 10 million litres of water are rendered unusable. Over the life of a turbine, this equates to pollution of half a trillion litres of water per turbine…..This dust from eroding blades has covered large areas of our planet and bisphenol A is leaching into soils and waterways. This is a toxic time bomb…..
……The energy used to manufacture construct and maintain wind turbines is far greater than will ever be produced in their working life. The large-scale slaughter of birds and bats, the sterilisation of some 25 hectares of land for each turbine and the criss-crossing of land with construction and service tracks and wires is apparently in the name of the environment. The more renewable energy that enters the grid, the higher the domestic electricity costs and the more infrastructure needs to be built…... No data is available on hazards, accidents, fires, safety, health and human suffering as required by other industries. ….Millions of used blades are now destined for landfill. ….The cut surface of the blade allows leaching, and soils and waterways are contaminated by bisphenol A. At present there are 6,000 blades for dumping in Australia and the number is increasing as Australia surges towards being the mythical renewable energy global superpower. ( Ref: Professor Ian Plimer. “Green Murder” (2021, Connor Court Publishing)
The environmental hazards discussed in the article above demonstrate the lasting, and widespread potential effects of proceeding with the Boomer Wind & Battery Plant. BPA has been outlawed all over the world in the food and drink industry, so covering our natural landscapes and food producing soils with this dust, moreover, the tops of major watersheds, in the name of ‘green’ energy is ludicrous. Has the flow-on effect of BPA in the local hydrology of this wind plant been considered? Do the local waterways feed out into the Great Barrier reef Marine park? Mapping available from the Office of the Great Barrier Reef, Department of Environment and Science clearly demonstrates this. (Please see attached map.)
Moreover, the average wind turbine needs 80 gallons of oil as lubricant, PAO synthetic oil based on crude oil, (reliant on imports) and that oil needs to be replaced once a year. (Larger turbines need more than this). The army of large equipment needed to transport and build these wind plants run on petroleum. As well as the equipment required for installation, service, maintenance, and eventual removal. Each turbine requires a footprint of several hectares, cleared of trees because trees create a barrier & turbulence that interferes with the sustained wind velocity necessary for the turbine to work properly.
The maximum lifespan of a modern, top quality, highly efficient wind turbine is 20 years. They cannot economically be reused, refurbished, reduced, repurposed, or recycled so they go to landfill. Has this aspect been considered at Winterbourne? Has disposal and rehabilitation been planned and catered for? Where will the used turbines be buried, and who will pay for the transporting of used turbines to landfill? Has the company paid a bond for this expensive process in case, like so many other RE companies, they no longer exist in a few years?
The lack of transparency by governments and underhandedness regarding RE developments with communities , is clearly demonstrated here in the selection of a consultation period too early in the year to be practically accessible to most people, who are not back at work or into their usual routine. This is typical of the manner in which these developments are being rapidly and recklessly rolled out across rural Australia, impacting people who are unaware of the consequences involved. This development is entirely inappropriate and unacceptable for the Walcha area.
When will governments use common sense and put a stop to this cancer spreading over our country? Food security + energy security = national security.

Please find our submission attached

I am grazier, I believe in climate change.
After suffering through a massive wind storm, followed by the worst drought since records were kept, it is irrefutable that this is occurring. To have any potential to reduce this climate variability we need to reduce our carbon emissions, wind generated electricity is part of this solution.
Personally I feel we are very fortunate to have land holders in these ideal wind farm locations that are open to hosting such projects, this gives me faith that there are people who want to be part of the solution.
I look forward to the Winterbourne Wind project being the first of many such projects in our area / community.

I am making a submission in support of the proposed Winterbourne Wind farm project within the community of Walcha, New South Wales. I believe the environmental and economic benefits that this project with provide to the region are essential to build a sustainable future for Walcha.
This project will contribute to the reduction of 1.8 million tonnes of CO2. This would support Australia in working towards its recent commitments of net zero by 2050. As someone who is aged between 20-30, I think it is extremely important that we do everything that we can to ensure that we fight greenhouse gas emissions, so regional agricultural centres like Walcha have a sustainable future with minimised environmental impacts that climate change induces. As Walcha provides the ideal geography for these wind turbines, I think it is of upmost importance that as a community, we do everything we can to support a project that has a direct impact on the livelihood of our future generations.
In addition to this, I believe the increased employment opportunities, the increased income provided to windfarm hosts, and the Community Benefit Scheme (upfront payment of $1 million paid at the commencement of construction and then $750,000 annually (indexed to the CPI) to the Walcha LGA and Uralla LGA for the life of the project) will allow for the economic prosperity of the Walcha community. This will have a direct impact on local families, due to the increased opportunity for money to be spent with our local businesses and on our local facilities. Similar, to the environmental impact, this will enable a sustainable economic future for the Walcha community.

I believe that the Winterbourne wind project is an important addition to the development of business in Walcha and the surrounding shire. Not only will this project support small country businesses, including (and not limited to) hospitality, retail, accomodation and tourism; but it will also ensure that landholders in the area are able to benefit financially from such a large scale project.

Renewables are a much needed part of our modern day energy consumption, and I hope that Walcha will be able to lead the way forward in rural NSW towns in setting an example for the positive effects that this economic boost can have on small regional communities nationwide.

Brilliant initiative and integral to our future. Fully support and endorse this project. It's the only way forward.

As the immediate past mayor of Walcha Council and serving as a councillor for 16 years I feel it is essential to make this submission regarding the Winterbourne Wind Farm EIS. Through any development process it is essential there is "open lines of communication, transparency, consultation". All these words are being used but they have definitely not occurred. Walcha has a strong, supportive, and tenacious community that sticks together like glue. It is heart breaking to see this proposal divide this community in such a devastating and disrespectful way. Much of the argument that is creating this disrespect and has led to the breakdown of long standing friendships, is emotive and cannot be considered by you for this EIS. However, much of it is very real and has the potential to affect peoples lives forever. Walcha Council, sadly, has not involved itself in providing a neutral platform to give the community the opportunity to access the information it was, and is, so desperately seeking. It is fine to take a neutral position but this community was crying out for that platform. I do not object to Windfarms or any form of renewable energy, however, I do not like that this proposal seems to have been hastily put together and expects that is deserves serious consideration. At a community meeting held on 12 January 2023 and organized by community group, Voice of Walcha, the Member for the Northern Tablelands, Adam Marshall and the Member for Tamworth, Barnaby Joyce were in attendance Significant quotes from those gentlemen follow-
Adam Marshall - "Without doubt this is the very worst EIS I have ever, ever seen. It is woefully deficient in so many areas".
Barnaby Joyce - "The gaps that exist in this proposal are a total joke" and " The EIS is contemptable, they are treating you as mugs".
A quote from the General Managers report at the Extraordinary meeting of Walcha Council held on 19 January 2023 to Endorse their submission to the State Government in relation the Winterbourne Wind Farm -
"Having now had the opportunity to review the EIS, it is considered that it lacks critical information and is inadequate in its current form" and "the EIS indicates that this will be obtained after any approval for the Project is granted".
So the holes and gaps will be filled in later? How many parachutists check their parachute for holes after they jump??
Yours faithfully
Janelle Archdale

I fully support the Winterbourne Wind Project.
The Winterbourne Wind Project has reached the important milestone of completing the EIS and having the project details on public display. This is very significant for the founding group of Winterbourne landholders that initiated the project and invited my company MirusWind to Walcha in 2004 to discuss the possibility of a wind farm in the area. Their vision and sensible collective good will has been instrumental in developing concepts that were well ahead of their time which now, 18 years later, have become mainstream.

In open group sessions over 4 years I worked with these landholders to develop balanced documents that provide for the needs and requirements of the landholders and the developer. This included a Code of Conduct covering the practical issues that could be experienced during construction and operation of the wind farm. We now have best practice guides from farmer associations and industry associations that cover these important topics.

As part of the discussions the landholders recognised back in this early stage that the community and neighbours were very important and should also benefit from the development in some direct financial way. It was agreed that 5% of the shares of the development company would be held by a company run by the community. The returns from this shareholding would be distributed to the neighbours and community. This generous program was developed 10 years before community benefit schemes were common practice in the industry.

Wind monitoring began in 2009 and early site layouts and investigations were undertaken. The community engagement process began at that time, along with a presentation to Walcha Council in 2010. The Winterbourne Wind development site was sold to Vestas (a Danish company – the largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world) in 2019 who have taken the development through the planning process to the EIS.

The community ownership model of holding 5% would have resulted in a variable income stream which could have been problematic for the community, so Vestas are in a process with Walcha Council of changing the ownership arrangement into a fixed annual amount administered by Vestas and the Council.

Over this long period, I have developed some deep relationships with many people in the community and an understanding many local issues. I now have a house in Walcha have become involved in many local activities. At first most people are wary of large proposals like the Winterbourne Wind Project but as they come to understand more often their perspectives change and they can see how the project could benefit everybody in town. My perception is that a majority of people in the district are very accepting of the project.

Now that the project is moving from a concept to a possible reality a couple of anti-renewable groups have formed over the last year. Until recently there has been a general reasonable discussion in town about the merits or issues with the project. Unfortunately, a small self- appointed group called “Voice for Walcha” has spread misinformation and myths about this wind development designed to scare and divide the community using a heavy coercive approach. Not everyone will agree with the wind farm and truthful and healthy debate is a good thing. However, the discussion should be approached in a spirit of co-operation and compromise and conducted in a mature respectful manner. Sadly, this has not been the case. This is not the warm-hearted Walcha that I have come to know over a long time.

Looking forward, the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap is a plan to transition from coal and gas generation as they come to the end of their economic lives and replace them with renewable energy generation. The New England Renewable Energy Zone has been established around Walcha as the wind resource on the plateau is very good and will produce cheaper electricity. The goal is for 8,000MW of renewable developments in the NE REZ. The 700MW Winterbourne Wind Project is the first of a number of wind projects that should be developed under the NSW EIR in the NE REZ.

NSW needs well sited developments like the Winterbourne Wind Project.

There will be many local benefits that will flow from this project. There will be significant economic benefits that flow from host rental income, the community benefit scheme, local jobs and indirect business for many local enterprises. These benefits will continue to support the local community and future generations.

I whole heartedly believe the Winterbourne Wind Project is the way forward for the Walcha community and NSW at large. I urge the DPE to approve this project.

Mark Waring

I object to this project due to the negative environmental impacts as well as noise and visual pollution.

I object to this project. It’s proposed placement is ridiculous.
And once again consultation with the local community has been awful.

I am opposed to the Winterbourne Wind project, and I do not wish to see it go ahead in the Walcha district. Up until a recent move to Port Macquarie, I had lived in Walcha for the best part of 56 years and owned and ran a local Insurance Business for 12 years. My parents and adult children still live in Walcha, so I am regularly visiting the area. As a first point, my family and I do not wish to see or hear the turbines. People don’t live in Walcha in order to be in the middle of an industrial park. We like peace and nature. We don’t want massive turbines slicing up our beautiful wildlife. My parents are elderly (and they will be able to see the turbines from their house in town), I am worried about the health and emotional damage that these turbines will cause them. Secondly, my family and I are also very concerned about the amount of heavy vehicles and other associated transport that will be clogging up and damaging our local roads. What happens if one or both of my parents (or my children) needs to urgently get to Tamworth for medical care? It would very likely be a disaster. And thirdly, my parents are both pensioners, and they have worked hard and saved all their lives. More renewables (wind and solar) into our electricity grid only sends the prices higher, as they cannot provide baseload power and are an extremely expensive energy source. Why shove more wind power into our grid and make everyday Australians like my parents suffer higher and higher electricity prices? Electricity needs to be cheap and reliable for industry, small business and households. Renewables are not the solution. And finally, I would like to say that Walcha is beautiful and loved just as it is, and all that the Winterbourne Wind project has done is to divide people and cause fights between locals and neighbours. I have never seen anything like it in my 56 years as a local. We do not want these turbines in Walcha.

I care about this project because I care about my children’s future and the environment. Please approve this project.

I Vehemently Object to Winterbourne Wind Farm outright. Outright. Outright.
It will destroy a World Heritage Listed National Park. With a Brink of Extinction Rare Threatened Gondwana Rainforest area scattered through Forest which has No Protection at all against Cumulative Threats of 57 in total. Adding a Renewable Project in the area Winterbourne Wind Farm proposal, will harm the Wetlands that serve into this very Rare Rainforest area. The Rarest on Earth. Gondwana rainforest Is the Rarest Rainforest on Earth. Do not enter this area. Walcha Wetlands over the entire area Winterbourne Wind Farm plan Wind Turbines. Of Industrial Size. On Farmland far from the ports the infrastructure will come from. How Dare this department offer Harm and Loss to Walcha Wetland region that offers essential Catchment Flow into and down through Catchments that are entering Macleay Rainforest Protected areas, that are vulnerable to Cumulative Impact now. Adding further threat to the Upper Catchments that water into the World Heritage Listed area called Oxley Wild Rivers National Park will destroy this Rare and Endangered Ecological Community. Not researched was it. Why not. Thats an issue.

I Vehemently Object to Winterbourne Wind Farm proposal. Where the town residents of Walcha will experience Infrasound Impact. 20 km is the Zone area from Turbine to a home. How many people, Livestock, Wildlife, will be impacted by Infrasound. Which also affects Significant State into National Ley Lines that are not mentioned in this EIS report. Why. Because the Developer has not connected with the mobs that have Land on these Vital areas these Ley Lines cross over. Where are Elders of Knowledge in this report. Not consulted. I have consulted with some about this proposal. Which can harm a SIgnificant State into Federal Ley Line. These are Southern Hemisphere Ley Lines. They are Important to Southern Hemisphere Rainforests. Under threat from Foreign Investment and Corruption in government.

My research can add important information about Northern Tablelands Top of the Range Vital Upper Tributary Catchments. Vital Upland Wetlands are under threat from Industrial Site Wind Turbines.

I Object Vehemently to this quite Ridiculous project. Its an Outrage. An Outrage . That will harm people, livestock, wildlife, plus Original and Brink of Extinction Gondwana Rainforests. Of which Only 8 % remains. 8 %. You must not threaten this Rainforest. It is the Rarest on Earth.

Potential Serious Irreversible Impacts. Critically Endangered Ecological Communities are these.

A World Heritage Listed area adjacent to a area under Threat from Wind Farms. These have not been offered to a Dry Continent ? Or where have they. They are without detail. They are. You can change the size ? You can increase the size ? You do whatever you like. I cannot accept that.

You are abominable people who are unable to under these words. Rare. Endangered. Critically Endangered. Brink of Extinction.

If the Potential Serious and Irreversible Impacts occur, who is Responsible. You are. Being ERM, NSW Government, Vesta, and every consultant creating this EIS report. It means you are all Responsible, for Harm and Loss to Critically Endangered Ecological Communities. You've listed Potential Serious and Irreversible Impacts. Who do you think you are, threatening a World Heritage Listed, Rare Gondwana Rainforest area. Down to 8 % of Original size. It has to be Cared for. You won't care for it. You don't care for it. That's clear. Why.

WEF get too many rights. WEF. Too many rights. Our particular country requires an Investigation. A very necessary one. Because Koala are under Threat from Foreign Investment. Where the governments of a Land named Australia are placing our Original Wildlife and Original Native species under Threat every day. Renewables are proving Inefficient. High Cost. Damaging to Catchments. Harming to Wildlife. Infrasound harms Wildlife. It harms the human species. Therefore harms animals. We are animals. All animals feel Frequency. Infrasound is harming you see. What other issues have not been Guaranteed.

Decommissioning. Um. Where are the Guarantees this will occur. Guarantees. You need them. You haven't got them. These Things called Renewables, are toxic. Read that. Toxic. Ban them now. Every type. All toxic. Harming. They kill birds. And our government has no interest in our Birdlife. Because they have no interest. None. Obvious. Why. I need a comment. Why doesn't our government care for Wildlife. For Birdlife. For Critically Endangered species. For Critically Endangered Ecological Communities. Many do. Many care. Government will not care. I need a Royal Commission into Harm and Loss to Original Native species immediately. I have understanding about Wind Farm impact on our Clouds. Our Clouds. These have not been included you see. Clouds.

Cloud is now reducing occurrence on our Top of the Range. La Nina is finished in a Land named Australia. Finished. La Nina came and saved NSW. NSW. Our very area named NSW will be, once again, facing Dry times. Because the government, All, have no Care for Country. Never have. Won't. And I Do care. I know government has no Care for Country . I need our Original Native species given the Protection they need. They need it now. They needed it 48 years ago. Now the word is Endangered fir Koala. The Proof is there about Harm and Loss you see. I need a Royal Commission into Harm and Loss to Original Native species. I'm asking for one.

I need a Royal Commission into Harm and Loss to Original Native species.

I need Winterbourne Wind Farm Investigated. I know why. I do. I'll say why.

Our Original Native species have nit been given their rights. Eg. A Gondwana Rainforests region. None like it anywhere in earth. In earth. In earth. In it. It's under Threat now. That's government you see. In four main ways, governments threaten this area. A World Heritage Listed area. Downstream from Armidale Regional Council. Downstream from Costa Group Tomato Exchange Ltd. Downstream from two Urban communities. Downstream from farmers, who extract from Catchments called Vital Upper Tributary Catchments. Where Catchment Ability is lessening. That was proven in the years following. 2014. 2015. 2016. 2017. 2018. 2019. Into 2020. Into 2023. December 2022 into January 2023. We are under Threat from another Dry time. Our Catchments are under Threat from 14 causes now. Now.

1. Costa Group Tomato Exchange Ltd. They have two facilities around Guyra. Government have not monitored them. Why not. NRAR are aware they exist. Yet they have not bothered to research their impact on Highest Altitude Upper Tributary Catchments. NRAR also need an investigation. They have unable personnel. These personnel cannot Care for Country. Its proven. 2019, in NSW, created the word Historic. A Historic Dry Drought occurred in 2019. Worst Ever in History it was. 100 % of NSW experienced this Drought. La Nina visited Eastern Seaboard regions, to assist our Catchments. She has now finished. Government have done Nothing at all to alter Land Management. Now they threaten Vital Upper Tributary Catchments with Renewables On Country On Farmland In Wilderness. Why. It's obvious. We have been sold to Big Dollar. And we have no say. The People. A very message from Barnaby Joyce is this.

Protest in Canberra. Politicians always want to be voted for.

He said it. He understands the threat of On Farm Renewables. Very well. Unfortunately every government since possibly 1984 have no Care for Country. Have no Care for All on Country. That's obvious.

I'll copy your words from an EIS I need under investigation. Because it will threaten our Original Native species. Listed are these.

Critically Endangered Ecological Communities. Don't you understand Critically Endangered Ecological Communities. In 4 years of rain, these Endangered communities got Ability to remain present on Country. Now we have a serious issue. Which is La Nina finished in Australia. She won't be back for 18 years. And that's a very long time.

If Renewables still get access to Country in a Dry Continent, they will threaten our populations future. Our populations. Humans. Birds. Bats. Koala. Rare Rainforest areas. For who. For who. Those who don't Care for Country. Which is government. Well proven. I need all Renewables proposed to go On Country On Farmland In Wilderness Banned Now. Banned Now. Now. Meaning, Now. And I need a Royal Commission into Harm and Loss to Original Native species immediately. Because I know this government do not care for any Original Native species. Obvious.

I Vehemently Object to Winterbourne Wind Farm. Adjacent to a Very Rare Rainforest. The Rarest in the World. Needing Protection from our government. From our government. Which is not in place. So it is a need to question why the rights are always to Foreign Investment. The rights. Our Original Native species do not have any. I need them to. Many do. Many. Including Mob. Who lost almost everything within an abominable Historic episode that still continues into January 2023. Their Care for Country methods I need offered to all Land in Australia. All Land. It's theirs. Always has been. And always will be. Because that's how it is.

I Vehemently Object to our government. Especially the Planning Department. Especially the Federal government. Especially state government. Especially our mayor. Our mayor. Sam Coupland. Ignoring his Community. It shows what's wrong with government. Dealing. Dealing. Dealing. No discussion with anyone impacted by Deals. No discussion you see. None. Privilege is to Foreign Investment. Who says so. I need a Royal Commission into Harm and Loss to Original Native species. Because I do. I cannot allow the Koala to become Extinct. Because it can become Extinct. Because government do not Care for Country. And that's proven too many times. Because Koala are now Endangered. And that is Endangered. And you need an investigation, also, ERM.

Strong Opposition to the Winterbourne Wind Project!

My family have been land holders in the Blue Mountain region for two generations. I grew up in the pristine, untouched gorge country of Bough Yard Creek and Blue Mountain Creek. My family's property, just like the Gondwana rainforests of Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, is absolute wilderness- simply untouched and pristine. Most people understand the importance of such wilderness areas, as places like these continue to be more and more impacted by human activity and destruction. I wish to express my strong opposition of the Winterbourne wind farm Project, due to the signification impact on the biodiversity of the proposed and surrounding areas, including Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.

Included in the Winterbourne EIS was significant impact and habitat destruction of many threatened species, including koala, spotted quoll squirrel glider and wedge tail eagle. The wedge tail eagle was identified as being vulnerable to blade strike as it was observed 'regularly' flying at RSA height. The fact that Winterbourne Wind would be required to pay millions of dollars in biodiversity offset costs, illustrates the huge negative impact of this project.

I am especially concerned about the location of the wind turbines and the population of Wedge Tailed Eagles and their vulnerability to blade strike. The sheer amount and size of the turbines, located along the ridges above gorges will have disastrous effects on these birds.

I am also very concerned about the nesting parrots such as the swift parrot and glossy black cockatoo who rely on hollow-bearing trees to raise their young. To produce hollows, trees need to be decades old- these nesting trees are slow to grow and so cannot be easily replaced. It is clear that the project only offers short- term mitigation for the destruction of these trees. Table 6-11 outlines the proposed techniques, noting that ‘where practice, hollow-bearing trees would not be removed during breeding season to mitigate impacts on hollow dependent fauna’. Obviously, this technique only offers mitigation for a period of one breeding season- what trees will the birds and other fauna use the following year once they have been removed. This is just one example of a short-term outlook.

I write this submission to strongly oppose the Winterbourne project. I object to an off-shore company taking advantage of a small community, so close to Gondwana wilderness, to benefit a company that will generate millions of dollars in profit at the expense of the biodiversity and natural environment of the local area, under the guise of being a clean energy producing company. To be a truely clean energy project, more consideration needs to be given to the surrounding natural environment. The proposed project is too large for the proposed location- at the very frontier of rare wilderness and biodiversity. The impact on the natural biodiversity is just too great.

The proposed wind project is short sited and will have long term negative effects to the local community and landscape. It is selfish project that only financially benefits a very few in the community and will scar the landscape for future generations. The main selling point of the project to the community is the employment that it will offer. However most of the employment will be imported. Also the damage to the local infrastructure (roads) will be significant. The cost of this will undoubtedly land on the local community and will be an ongoing burden long after the construction of the project is completed.

Please find my submission attached.

1 strongly object to he Winterbourne Project for the following reasons
1 Winterbourne is very badly planned project
2 Wind farms damage the planet far more than they benefit it
3 Obscene environment destruction of Flora and Fauna (especially raptors right next door to World Heritage listed area)
3 Wind has only 30% energy factor.
4 Toxic pollution from chemicals in MICROPLASTIC SHEDDING FROM BLADES.
5 Blades are landfill after decommissioning (If it can be afforded to decommission them at $500,000- $700,000 each)
6 4 tonnes of mined copper in each turbine
7 Wind will not provide reliable base load power for industry.
8 28,000 kms of MASIVE TRANSMISSION LINES are planned to criss cross our magnificent country to connect these stupid so called renewables (actually Intermittent) speculator driven wind farms
9 Vestar wind turbines made in China as well as Europe and South America and USA.
10 Extremely inefficient (when decommissioned will not have generated as much energy as it took to manufacture, transport, destroy land scapes and communities and assemble the INDUSTRIAL WIND FARMS)
10 800 tonnes concrete under every tower, cement needs fossil fuels to generate 8,000 degrees c temperature to be produced)
11 The capital value of wind turbines on host properties means prospective purchasers will have to pay significantly more stamp duty.(That’s if the property owner can attract a buyer with a potentially obsolete wind tower that will cost $500,000- $700,000 to dismantle and Bury)
12 Look at Germany, clearing wind farms to open coal mines to provide base load power. Renewables are a failure in Europe, England and California.
13 WHAT IS WRONG WITH CO2? IT IS AN ABSOLUTELY VITAL GAS FOR ALL LIFE ON THIS PLANET. CO2 LEVELS HAVE BEEN AS MUCH AS 100 TIMES HIGHER IN THE ATMOSHERE IN THE PAST.
14 CO2 DOES NOT CAUSE WARMING. WHEN THE PLANET HAS OFTEN WARMED THROUGH OUT HISTORY, CO2 LEVELS HAVE RISEN WELL AFTER THE PLANET WARMED AND LED TO ABUNDANT PLANT GROWTH.

strongly object to