Winterbourne Wind Farm

The main reasons I object to the Winterbourne Wind Farm being constructed are;
- ROADS & TRAFFIC. There will be an anticipated 376 vehicles per day (288 of which will be heavy trucks) + trucks carting necessary gravel & water on our already damaged roads. The road between Tamworth & Walcha is not suitable for this increased traffic & heavy trucks, offering very few overtaking opportunities & already in poor condition. Local residents will be negatively impacted in being able to access medical care, food supplies & business essentials due to congestion & road destruction. Who will repair our roads?? Walcha Council is not in a financial position to do this.
- VISUAL. The Walcha District is noted for its incredible landscape, National Parks & Gorge Country. With 119 turbines, 230m high the turbines will dominate the landscape destroying visual amenity. Add flashing lights & our skyline is majorly changed. Why destroy such a beautiful part of the world with such unnecessary eye-sores.
-WATER & FIRE. Walcha is still recovering from its worst drought in history & scarred from surrounding bushfires. According to the EIS the 220megalitres of water needed for windfarm construction will come from local sources. Walcha does not have water storage facilities large enough to accommodate this staggering amount of water required by the developers. Also with the Windfarm creating a no fly zone we would be powerless to control bushfires in nearby national parks or to spray fertilizer on our crops.
- AGRICULTURE. Walcha is known as the Pasture Wonderland. The district runs bout 900,000 sheep & 85,000 cattle. Our livestock is some of the best in the country & our wool is some of the best in the world. We are an agricultural town, not an industrial town! Windfarms would take up valuable land & resources needed for us to supply Australia's growing food requirements.
-THE FUTURE. Ours is a family farm which we hope to pass onto our son. We do not want him in the future to have to be dealing with the environmental effects of turbine blades in landfill because they can't be recycled or the expense of decommissioning turbines (approx $380,000 per turbine) because they are obsolete technology.
Winterbourne Wind Farm will spoil Walcha's natural landscape, damage our local environment, divide our tight community & ruin our children's future.

The grounds for my objection are as follows:

1. The Winterbourne Wind Farm is right on the edge of the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park and UNESCO Gondwana World Heritage Area. The wind farm puts this area of natural beauty and heritage at risk due to the import of pathogens in the water and gravel needed for construction. It also has a huge negative visual impact on this area of biodiversity and ecological importance. The EIS statement does not address these concerns properly.
2. Where are water and gravel coming from? Walcha water supply is for the use of the town, not for the use of industry such as this development. There is no source of gravel within the region large enough to cater for this development. So where is it all coming from? The EIS statement does not address these concerns properly.
3. How will the components of the wind turbines be brought to Walcha? If it is via road, one assumes they will come up the New England Highway and then along the Oxley Highway to Walcha. There are several difficult pinch points along that road, such as the bridge at Walcha Road. How will the turbine blades make it along that road? How will the road be kept open to regular traffic of people going about their daily business including business activities? The EIS statement does not address these concerns properly.
4. What are the plans for decommissioning? We are told that there will be no bond. So where will the money come from? 800m3 of concrete in the base of each turbine will be there to stay. No one will bother to remediate that at the end of the project’s life span. I don’t actually believe it would be possible to do so, and certainly not be economically viable. So landowners will be left with unusable land where the concrete remains. This will be a blight on the landscape for generations to come. Walcha has not asked for this. It should not be. The EIS statement does not address these concerns properly.
5. What happens when there are bushfires in the area. The national park is remote and as such, water bombing aircraft are likely to be used. However, due to the proliferation of wind turbines, this will not be possible. It therefore puts the surrounding areas at significant risk of bushfire damage as fires may spread in the areas where the fire cannot be fought, putting people’s homes, businesses, farms and properties at risk. The EIS statement does not address these concerns properly.
6. The EIS document is a ridiculous mess. It is full of errors. If the planning department lets this project proceed on the basis of that EIS, all will know that the department of planning has no legitimate basis for doing so.
7. There has been no adequate consultation with the community. Despite several public meetings held in Walcha, to which Vestas has been invited, they have not deemed it important to attend and have sent no representative. This shows the contempt with which they treat local residents and the complete disregard they have for them and their concerns.
8. Who will pay for the upkeep, maintenance and regular resurfacing of the roads? With the increased traffic from the construction vehicles, which are heavy vehicles, there will be a lot of impact to the roads. Anyone who lives in Walcha knows how bad the roads have been over past months with the increased rain. Add many, many heavy vehicles to that, and it is a recipe for disaster. The potholes will be far, far worse. Potholes affect all road users, some more than others, when their windscreen are cracked by stones, and when their tyres blow. Will local road users be compensated for these extra costs which they will have to bear, when it happens more and more often? The EIS statement does not address these concerns properly.
9. Wind turbines are not cutting edge technology. By the time their lifespan has ended, they will be completely obsolete. This obsolescence will happen only some way into their lifespan. They will becoming economically unviable to maintain, and therefore landowners will be left with rusting white elephants that no-one will fix or bother to remove. The EIS statement does not address these concerns properly.
10. Has the developer met and consulted with indigenous custodians of the land? Have they given any heed to their concerns. Given Aboriginal people’s spiritual connection to the land, have their thoughts, feelings and objections been taken into account?

There is so much more I could question. This development is a bad idea for Walcha and our surrounding region and must be stopped.

I look forward to a prompt response from you, dealing with each of my concerns.

My points of opposition exceed the character allowance - please find a document attached, listing my points of opposition to the Winterbourne Wind Farm submission.

With thanks - Katherine Mackaway

As a Business owner and resident of Walcha, I wholly support this project.
I Believe this project offers the Walcha LGA a fantastic opportunity for growth , but also the opportunity for both exisiting and new businesses in the New England, which will benefit the entire community.
As a rural community we suffer first hand from the effects of climate change, it was only a very short time ago when we suffered one of the worst droughts in memory, compounded by horrific bushfires, which seems to quickly have been forgotten by many. This project offers our area the opportunity for new and innovative industry and technology which can can inspire and provide opportunity to the next generation, of farmers, scientists and engineers, some of whom will be educated at our local central school, as well as placing Walcha in the forefront as the state, and the country look to become more sustainable, but while also being able to provide much needed power to industry and our homes, and reduce our climate impact.
As a business owner with a family, I believe this project can provide us with new business opportunities, and the ability in increase our staff count and therefore provide new employment opportunities to the people and next generation of Walcha.
This project is bigger then just our town, it is a piece of significant infrastructure to benefit not only NSW but the entire country

There are many reasons for my objections.
I have been involved in the Landcare movement since 1994 and have been chairman of a very active group which has achieved some wonderful Landscape improvements. The Lower Apsley Landcare Group was formed to respond to New England Dieback which was a slow death of our native tree species. We formed a group and began planting native trees in corridors following the Apsley River, the Oxley Highway, and most importantly the ridge line of Stringy Bark eucalypts between the township of Walcha and the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park at the Apsley Falls. The landscape change between Walcha and the Apsley Falls is very obviuos to any who drive that road.
In 2008 our Landcare group was awarded the NSW Community Group of the year and a National Finalist, which was recognition of our revegetation efforts.
Tree corridors are connected blocks of trees which protect native vegetation, encourage regeneration of the landscape and provide shelter for native animals, birds and insects as well as improve the environment for grazing animals in agriculture.
The ridge line corridor between Walcha and the Apsley Fall is 17 kilometres long and I called it important because it is a recharge zone for our landscape. A recharge zone is important as it supports our underground water systems and allows the whole of the landscaspe access to underground water. The hilltops and ridgelines need trees to hold water and slow the runoff of rainfall, preventing erosion and helping infiltration of rainfall to our groundwater systerms.
Windturbines are built on ridgelines and this involves the clearing of native trees for access roads and the turbines themselves. To have the ridges of Winterbourne Wind cleared of native vegetation is totally contrary to any responsible approach to our future in agriculture, and to the activities of the Landcare movement in Southern New England.
My farm is on the edge of the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park and the beautiful natural landscape is accessed through Winterbourne so any tourists and travellers will have to drive through this damaged landscape to enjoy the natural beauty. It doesn't make sense.
The Ecosystem Credit payment places a monetary definition on environmental damage of $64 million dollars. This is not possible. No money can reverse the damage that is permanent. The project is expected to last at least 30 years and that can only be regarded as irreversable.

I want to object to the project for the following reason.
Traffic impact
I live on the northern side of Walcha, on the edge of the residential area of the township. We will be affected by project traffic coming from both the north and the west side of Walcha, as they travel towards and from the Jamieson St intersection and Thunderbolts Way.
I am concerned about this because it will affect any travel plans and timings. I am more concerned about the safety in this area to pedestrians, as well as vehicle traffic. I am also concerned about the safety of animals in the area that are disturbed by heavy vehicles.
Just down the road from my home is a pre-school that they will be travelling past, as well as a sporting hall that hosts indoor hockey and basketball in the afternoons, where may young kids are involved in their sport activities.
Resources
I am worried about the amount of concrete that is required for these foundations. This is a huge drain on our local resources, and a heavy use of a very environmentally unfriendly cement product.
Decommissioning
I’m worried about where all the blade materials will be buried at their end of life. Where is this landfill going to be. The EIS does not describe where this land fill will be. I am worried about whether this developer will be there to carry out this de-commissioning, or whether they will claim bankruptcy and walk away.
Structural stability
I am concerned about how stable these large structures are, in the case of earth tremors, high wind, or lighting strike.
Impact on the local ecology
I am worried about the impact of the construction of roads, buried cables and turbine construction on the local critters and wildlife. There is a huge amount of bush and timber that will be destroyed in the construction process.

I’ve lived in Walcha for 44 years and visited here in 1972 on my way around Australia, and was blown away by the beauty of the area. I married a third generation farmer, and moved from Victoria. I started doing Bed and Breakfast in 1994, at home and had many guests seeking out the peace and quiet of the New England, and exploring the incredible National Parks in the Walcha area, including the attractive scenery and serenity.
In 2004 I opened a self contained cottage in town for BnB as well as so many tourists love coming to the Walcha area. I get many internationals as well.
I am very anti the Winterbourne Wind Farm as I can imagine it’s going to highly effect the whole tourist industry here in Walcha. The 119 turbines on the the edge of the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park , part of the World Heritage Gondwana Rain Forests, are going to be very detrimental to the the area with destruction of the beautiful wild life corridors and death of the eagles etc. From my BnB ,as it’s on a hill looking east, instead of seeing the sunrise my guests will see the flickering of 80? Flashing red lights. I also feel tourists will stop coming to Walcha as the roads will be so effected with all the hold ups leading into our area , delays and stoppages constantly and congestion during the 3 year construction period, 288 trucks per day during the 11 months peak time.
I am concerned that if this project goes ahead then there is a proposed 660 wind turbines from the Walcha energy office, “ Mark Waring”.
If the tourists stop coming to Walcha and the New England our town will suffer incredibly as they rely on them greatly and accomodation providers will /could have to close . Our town is very attractive to visitors due to the small community we live in and is growing all the time especially since Covid hit. We have alot to offer, especially to the city folk who want peace and quiet. That will all go!! Please don’t let them go ahead.

Please see the attached document.

I am a landholder within the Walcha Council area.We are a small country town with waterfalls,rivers,and beautiful scenery which i do not want to look through the giant turbines to enjoy.The extra heavy haulage vehicles that will be needed to transport all the needed equipment will cause disruption to the local traffic in our town and the surrounding areas.My concern also is the amount of water that will be needed i am wondering where it will be sourced from too.The amount of employment that has been suggested that will be created i am thinking will not be met by local people but will be supplied by the developers.My other concerns is the lack of communication between the local communities and the developers as i know of some landholders that were not informed in any way of what was being proposed for the neighbours of people that were in favour of this development.I am wondering also of what is to happen in the far off future when these turbines have reached an age where they do not work anymore how will they be demolished and who pays for this as i am told they are not recyclable i cannot imagine the landholders then would want them in piles around their beautiful farming country.The developers are only interested in the money that will be made for them from this project and not interested in the long term effects on the environment,our native flora and fauna.In 2019 we had a terrible bushfire season I cannot see how helicopters could do water bombing on the fire if our landscape is encumbered with huge turbines spinning .I am sure many other submissions have covered many more topics than I have . This is not the pathway that needs to be taken for our community.

I object to this project. The environmental impact will be detrimental to the area. Wildlife & endangered species will be sacrificed. The local roads will not sustain the heavy vehicles needed to build this project.
The cons completely outweigh any benefits and the Community of Walcha will be severely damaged if this goes ahead.
We do not get any relevant answers from the potential developers. Very poor consultation processes
This project is completely WRONG for this Area, where is the required water coming from?, there would be high ecological impact, high Health impact, negative tourism impact, the visual impact would be disastrous The health of our natural ecology should not be for sale. There would be increased bush fire control risk, how would aerial support get to the National Park?
The whold proposal is just a money grabbing exercise and does not take our beautiful town into consideration at all.

I am a 3rd generation grazier and are very concerned about the impact theWinterbourne Wind Farm will have on the environment also turbines will not only destroy the beautiful landscape but will kill lots of endangered animals and birds. Where will all the water and gravel come from. The roads around Walcha are unable to take the traffic now and are damaged without all the extra trucks and vehicles. The amount of trees that will be removed is criminal and damages to the environment. When the turbines are at the end of their life what will happen? They will be buried and contaminate the beautiful landscape and precious water

I do NOT want a wind farm in the New England area. This is a beautiful region and the proposed wind farms will have immediate and future devasting environmental impacts on this area. The damage they will cause is irreversible. Surely the future for sustainable energy must by nuclear power

It is the future

I bought my property at Winterbourne over 30 years ago for the peace and tranquility that it would give me in my retirement . I am disgusted to learn that this is now about to be destroyed by towering wind turbines. I have never been consulted by anyone from the project. The impact on the wildlife re the wedge tailed eagles will be immense. Winterbourne Rd is just not suitable for the amount of traffic that is being suggested. Tourism will be greatly impacted as who wants to see these ugly turbins.

I'm Angus Monie a local Grazier of the Walcha district and would like to comment on the Winterbourne Wind Farm project.
1. Firstly I believe the impact of the construction of the Winterbourne Wind Farm will cause major traffic congestion on your local roads affecting the Emergency Services and general freight services. We are a livestock region that relies on livestock freight to and from regional markets. We move live cattle & sheep, the congestion that will be caused by Wind farm construction will be detrimental to the delivery of our live farm produce, causing unnecessary stress & death to our animals.
2. We have just emerged from the worst drought in living memory, during the drought water was a very precious commodity. Many Walcha farm residents had to purchase water as their farm underground water bores, river systems & dam storages had dried up. The water required for concrete and road construction is massive. Where will the water come from if drought returns? even without drought water supplies will be put under massive strain to supply the wind farm requirements.Will Walcha Council be selling water to the turbine project? and at what cost will water be for local residents? Put simply will Local residents be able to afford water?
3.The environment we live in has a very fine line. We as farmers protect our environment because our livelihood depends on sustainable resources that we coincide with, change the balance and we all suffer. Winterbourne Wind is going to damage our ecosystem with land clearing for turbine & roads, disrupting native flora & fauna. Many endangered species & native vegetation will be destroyed forever.
4. The Visual effect will damage our landscape for generations to come. We live in a pristine and stunning landscape with views that must be seen to believe. Walcha is known as The Pasture Wonderland of the New England. The future title will be Industrial Wasteland.
Imagine Putting Wind Turbines on North & South Heads of Sydney Harbour. Good idea as the Sydney city requires most of the electricity!!! Never going to happen so why should politicians destroy our back yard....
5.Decommissioning of the Project. It is said that a fund will be set up to decommission the towers as they become profitable, possibly taking ten to fifteen years to do so. What happens if overseas companies walk away from the project because it is not profitable? Answer, we are left with the industrial wasteland.
I believe that all Hosts of proposed Wind Farms should be signing contracts stating that they, The Hosts are responsible for the decommissioning should The Developer abandon walk away from The Wind Farm development.
Finally I believe if Winterbourne Wind farm goes ahead under a foreign owned company that has NO understanding of our local community the flood gates will be opened and Walcha will have 577 wind turbines within a 70 km radius of its town.
Thankyou
Regards Angus Monie

My name is Ross Monie and I work around Walcha as a station hand for multiple farms included, my fathers property.
I believe that the project has positive for the future, except the idea putting turbines in the locations chosen is too much road traffic just bring in all the materials. the hundreds of trucks and other vehicle added to the road will be a problem for the local traffic, I have to travel from our side of town to different farms which due to construction will add time and danger to my commute to work. I don't get paid to travel so the wasted time will cost me...
My family owns a farm on thunderbolts way. Will we be able to see turbines along the ridge line around us, the large industrial view will there for have land value decrease. this intern will lower the ability to make a profit and possible jeopardies our very fragile existence.
I understand for these turbines land will have to be cleared of all the trees. The lose of wildlife habit, the native birds nesting in the trees, koala that all of Australian tried saving in the bush fires 4 years ago will be killed getting the ridge line accessible for the construction of the wind farms.
I am the future of our family farm and I believe a sound environment and sustainable energy source is needed but on this scale only the large cities will prosper.
Thank you for your time
Regards Ross Monie

I am a rural landholder who will be able to readily see various proposed turbines on nearby properties. This has prompted me to spend a substantial amount of time reviewing numerous EIS related documents.

Overall, the Winterbourne Wind Farm proposal has potential major positive benefits for the community, including:
(1) Making a significant contribution to the future energy requirements of NSW.
(2) Increasing the quantity, as well as diversity, of local employment and economic opportunities.
(3) Enhancing the overall productivity of local rural land, in a manner consistent with its "RU1 Primary Production" zoning.

My key concern is that the NSW Government should apply and enforce appropriate conditions of development consent to ensure that the developer is responsible for all costs arising from the construction, operation and decommissioning phases of the project, including:
(A) Upgrading public roads.
(B) Maintaining public roads.
(C) Reduced operating life of local waste disposal facilities.

Ultimately it would not be reasonable for Walcha Council (ratepayers), to significantly subsidise the work of a company operating for profit in this context. If the full costs of establishing, operating and decommissioning the development are actually borne by the proponent, then I believe that it can be implemented in a manner that is unlikely to have any ongoing serious adverse community impacts, so approval would be in the public interest.

My view on this new and exciting project is positive as. I believe as a resident of Walcha that this will bring new people to this dying town, forward thinking would suggest that green energy is a great option for the future as current fuel sources are unethical. I believe that if this project does not go ahead there is no reason for a large majority of the youth for Walcha to stay as there is a struggle for employment and growth in the town. This new development might be Walcha's last hope of a productive and growing future. If the project does not go ahead myself and many of the youth of Walcha will look elsewhere for opportunity and growth. This is a great opportunity for the town and should be embraced by the community as it may give Walcha a future.

I object to the Winterbourne Wind Farm Project because it is dividing the Walcha community.
I have grown up in this town and I think it is a beautiful town to live in. My parents are beef cattle producers.
It makes me upset to see people that I know and like not speaking to one another due to the divisive nature of this development.
This is having a real social impact on the community. It will it have a real impact on the towns people as people will leave because they do not want to live near wind towers, there will not be any rental properties, the services and resources will be taken by the developers and they will not be available for local people particularly during the 2 year construction period.
I also object to the destruction of wildlife corridors that will greatly affect birds and bats, koalas and native trees.
I also think they will be so ugly. I have seen the ones at Inverell and these ones are much bigger, and more destructive.

I am writing to lodge my vehement objection to the Winterbourne Wind proposal. (Please note: these projects are not pertaining to farms, they are pertaining to factories). I am a seventh generation Australian farmer with a very clear understanding of how many mistakes we have made in managing the land over the past 150 years.
The disastrous effects of this proposal on the biodiversity of this already fragile landscape will be immeasurable, and mostly irreversible.
Gravel access roads at least 9m wide will be put through hosting properties and to every turbine site, necessitating the felling of old growth trees. These rare and grand old survivors of agricultural clearing, fires and droughts, and essential sources of food and shelter for many species of fauna will be gone for good. Also cleared will be all the grasses, forbs, herbs and shrubs. Many kms of extra transmission lines (both high and low voltage) transmission lines will be built, with much more clearing for the easements.
Construction phase: in the period of time taken to construct each tower, there is a massive disturbance to the immediate biome including noise, vibration and dust.
Once the tower is operational, there is continual and permanent disturbance caused by vibration, noise, blade flicker effect in the early morning and late afternoon, red light all night disturbing sleep patterns of birds and animals, risk of bird strike esp to raptors, ibis and migratory birds but to all birds who reach the height of 300m. There are local changes to barometric pressure which result in death of bats (pulmonary haemorrhaging as a result of changes to barometric pressure)
South eastern woodlands, of which the Winterbourne area is a part, have suffered catastrophic environmental damage since European settlement. 90% of these woodlands have been cleared. Climate change, continued clearing of native vegetation, introduction of feral animals such as foxes, deer, pig and cats: all these factors have contributed to an enormous loss of biodiversity. Are you aware that Australia boasts the highest rate of mammal extinctions in the world ?
The disastrous consequences of the Winterbourne Wind development and others like it will put even more pressure on our already very fragile and damaged landscape. The straw that will break the camel’s back.
This project simply must not be approved.