Winterbourne Wind Farm

This Project, will be fantastic for the local community. Providing short and long term employment opportunities while injecting money back into the community for the life of the Project. I see what other local farms has put back into the New England local community and being from a small local community in Tasmania I am envious of them. We also have proposed small and large Projects here and I often encourage the doubters to go and do some research in communities such as this and ask the locals if it is a burden or blessing. Small rural communities are currently dying a very slow inevitable death and we need Projects such as this. Renewable projects such as this is a win/win, for everyone!

Renewable energy is the future of Australia and I will fully support the building of windfarms.

Winterbourne Wind Farm:
Renewable energy
Australia Energy Security,
Cleaner plant,
Better future

Renewable Energy is one the solution to the global warming challenges facing the earth right now. This project will enable a faster transition from reliance on fossil fuel generation hence offsetting million Tonnes of greenhouse gases per annum. The social benefits from this project will not only provide 100s of jobs during construction but also permanent jobs for the personnel operating the farm when completed. In addition, there will be increased business opportunities for the local community. Ultimately wind energy is cheaper than new fossil generated power hence will provide much needed relief on the businesses and household bills with none of the associated pollution from burning coal.

The project will also benefit the community from contribution into the Walcha and Uralla communities which will go a long way supporting initiatives, programs, events, infrastructure and services.

This is our pathway to slow the impacts of global warning whcih lately have become too frequent and great intensity affecting farmers, businesses, communities and nations as we're all interconnected relying on each other.

I believe this development is well thought out and will provide benefits to the local and regional areas that outweigh any negative issues that it causes

I support the proposed Winterbourne Wind Farm project as described in the EIS. It is essential that renewable energy is part of the future energy needs of this state & country & with this area having abundant resources of wind & solar energy it is a logical area to build & produce clean energy for our future & to meet all our present & future commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
I believe the company behind this proposal has been open & transparent over the past few years & there has been adequate opportunities for the public to make themselves fully aware of the scale & operation of this particular project.

This project is not only good for the environment and he community but is also supported by excellent research.

Green energy is the future, local people like me wanna our children suffer less draught, bushfire and other extreme weather which are related to climate change, overusing fossil fuel is the main cause of all these crisis.

Wind energy is far cheaper and environmental friendly, especially when there is an urgent need to reduce greenhouse has emissions.
Also, the project will create jobs and skills for the future economy

We object to the erection of the Winterbourne Windfarm installation of up to 119 wind turbines for the following reasons:
SECRECY. When farmers who sign contracts for $1,000 are not able to discuss ANYTHING about the wind installations, with neighbours, family, friends or the general community, it raises the question “Why?” Is there something to hide? What is the hidden agenda here? This has divided the whole community- neighbours against neighbours, friends against friends, families divided. Walcha has a wonderful community. This simple secrecy issue, combined with the reluctance of the developers to engage with the community in forums has exacerbated this division. Their “consultation” has consisted of a glossy overview, but the community has had to dig elsewhere for answers to specific concerns.
LOSS TO AGRICULTURE There are 8 billion people in the world, and we produce clean, green food in our “Pasture Wonderland “of Walcha, as it has been called since the 1950s. We have highly productive agricultural land. This will change with windfarms all over our area, plus the power lines needed to transport the electricity. 119 turbines is only the start – up to 800 have been proposed because we were designated a Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) by someone(s) with apparently no community or local Council consultation. Our Walcha area will be crippled.
BIOSECURITY. If we have the number of people in and around Walcha from anywhere (bringing the towers and the blades from Newcastle) plus all the sand, gravel, cement, water the possibility for huge biosecurity issues arises for weeds, disease etc to be brought to our farms.
TRANSPORT. This is a very real problem, and one that will impact on Walcha for a very long time. Oversize, overlength trucks with their accompanying vehicles will hold up traffic in each direction, wherever they go, whether the New England Highway, Oxley Highway, Thunderbolts Way and all the smaller roads to traverse till they reach their destination. This will impact everyone in the community especially first responders – police, fire, SES, ambulance etc, and the local people trying to get to medical appointments, work, or simply around Walcha etc.
The EIS states that there will be minimum disruption. I believe that each turbine needs a base of 800 cubic metres of concrete. Our local concrete truck carries 5 cubic metres of concrete- larger ones 7.5 cubic metres. Each tonne (T) of concrete needs 10 cubic metres of material (sand and gravel) not counting dry cement. Each turbine (if 800T concrete needed) will need 1,600 T material FOR EACH TURBINE. How many trucks? Too many. Not to mention carting water.
WATER. Water is a huge problem, and a great deal will be needed. Where will it come from? NOT Walcha’s domestic supply, not local dams, so WHERE? Will it be trucked in as well? More trucks on our roads!!
DECOMMISIONING. Decommissioning will be done by the developers, they say, BUT what if this company changes hands AGAIN? Ultimately The NSW Department of Planning has said that it is the responsibility of the owner of the land. How can that be? Apparently, the NSW Government does not have a policy on decommissioning similar to the mining industry. If not, why not? And would it then be possible that no one removes the turbines at the end of their short life and we are left with “dead” wind turbines that no one will remove?
TIME FRAME. 25 years is very short term for an installation of this size and cost and disruption to prime agricultural land. Why is it so short lived? Is it because it is becoming old technology?
HEIGHT ISSUES. Walcha is to have the biggest wind turbines in Australia. Average height (in feet) for China – 33 feet, USA – 262, Germany, seems to have the tallest at 492 feet , India – 279, Spain - 130. (Source Climatebiz)
Ours would be 230metres (755 feet). That is a huge difference and a big blot on our landscape..
Being sited on ridges near National Parks creates aerial firefighting issues – extremely difficult with smoke obscuring the turbines. Aerial fertilising and spraying will be almost impossible at the heights flown (a few feet to 100 feet (30m)). To go above them would be impossible to do the job. General Aviation would also be compromised in inclement weather. The area often has clouds on the hills, obscuring visibility.
Average heights in other countries vary, but are much smaller and only the off shore turbines seem to be as big as we would have, but we would have giants.
COMMUNITY BENEFITS. Winterbourne Wind say that there will be community benefits $1 million at the start of installation and $750,000 per annum thereafter. This is tiny compared to their expected profits. Walcha is supposed to benefit from the installation with local tradesmen and labour used. This is a farce as it is impossible to get tradesmen at present. There is very limited accommodation and so workers will live elsewhere and support those areas, which will mean even more vehicles on the roads, travelling to and from the turbines. IF there is some rental accommodation available in Walcha, it will push up prices and exclude those disadvantaged Walcha people. We can see no advantage for Walcha in any of this.
FOREIGN OWNERSHIP. It seems we will also import all the components and then export most of the profit - a lose/lose situation instead of a win for Australia, and Walcha in particular. Why should we have foreign ownership of Australian resources?
UNKNOWNS. There are many “unknowns “ -
Who will the developer be at the end of the project? Will they honour previous agreements?
Long term impact of health of those close to turbines and large power lines. More evidence is coming to the fore on these issues, which now are shrugged off.
Impact on the township and community long term
Would the payments made to the community REALLY compensate for the huge upheaval?
SUGGESTIONS. Why not construct more wind installations between Bathurst and Mudgee? The wind farm is already there, the infrastructures are already there, and it is definitely not prime agricultural land and there seems to be room for more turbines. There would also be minimum disruption to land owners.
Why not have wind turbines off shore near the cities that need the power OR ALONG THE RIDGE BETWEEN Sydney and Wollongong, rather than disrupting huge amounts of prime agricultural land which is a food bowl, and necessitating the immense cost of power lines to take it to the cities – with the obvious electricity “leakage” as it travels long distances.
Why not use other alternative forms of renewables which are more sustainable and do less damage. There are many other options, some in the development stage – e.g. smaller wind turbines that can perhaps be attached TO EXISTING STRUCTURES (how about existing power pylons? All the infrastructure is already there.) Surely, like mobile phones, turbines will become smaller and more efficient as technology develops.
Set up small community “hubs” of solar and (much smaller) wind turbine to be self-sufficient.
Investigate wave power – near where the electricity is needed.
Same for Hydroelectric power
We must look at nuclear energy as base power, if we do not have coal fired power stations. It has come a long way since the early days.
WHY are we supposed to save the world by closing our 20 or so coal fired power stations and replacing them with wind farms of possibly outdated technology, when China has 1100 Coal fired Power Stations, with the plan to build approximately 100+ more within a year. We are perhaps being conned!
Since we were declared a Renewable Energy Zone, surely ALL THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS should be assessed together, so we can see the cumulative effect of the impact to our town, rather than the piecemeal approach the NSW Planning Department seems to take.
CONCLUSION Initially we supported the idea of some wind farms in the area. However, the more we delved into facts, the more we worried. (and there are many others who have felt the same). The proponents for the Winterbourne Windfarm say this installation will put Walcha on the map. I agree – but it will be for all the wrong reasons, making Walcha far from the wonderful town and community it is at present and THAT is why we thoroughly object to this proposal.

I support the project because of the requirement to transition to renewable energy sources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, slow climate change and future proof our energy resources, noting aging coat fired power plants.

I have attached a word document to give reasons for my support

I am in support of the project and its contribution of an energy framework that contributes to the NSW governments net zero emission target of 2050.
7.1 Recommendation and 7.2 Next Steps of the Biodiversity Constraints Assessment adequately articulates management and risk mitigation strategy to be considered as the project proceeds. There is no evident heritage risks and the community consultation plan for the local community and key stakeholders, in particular land holders and immediate community provides a structure for all voices to be considered. Our rural communities are increasingly taking the lead in hosting the initiatives that will contribute greatly to the state, national and global 2050 targets and they do so with enthusiasm and pride. I wholeheartedly support this endeavor, recognizing the multilateral partnership of the many stakeholders in this project and that the benefits will be felt far wider than the boundaries of the development and the surrounding community.

I am glad to see NSW taking renewable energy initiatives seriously and scaling them up to maximize our green energy production. It's about time all of Australia champion around the natural earth and do something to reduce CO2 emissions. I saw some crazy numbers like this wind farm alone will offset about 1.8 million tons of greenhouse gases per year?? I'm happy with those numbers, knowing how many homes can be powered and knowing how urgently this switch away from fossil fuels should take place. Not to mention its cheaper than new fossil fuel generation. More facts: this project will create permanent jobs, and all renewable energy not only makes these states and communities look good around the world but is a dire necessity to the future existence of our species. Yes I feel strongly about this, and so should you.

This proposed wind farm project will help our transition from a fossil fuel based electricity system to a renewable energy based electricity system. Wind energy is now clearly the cheapest form of new electricity generation and there is an urgent need to replace the aging fleet of coal-fired electricity generators in NSW. The project helps deliver on the NSW government's Electricity Strategy of providing the reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity infrastructure that we need.

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues we are facing globally. The science is clear and there is an urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels. It is completely evident that wind energy is a critical part of the solution.
The transition towards renewable energy infrastructure will create jobs in NSW and across Australia.
The time to act is now.

Wind power is a vital part of Australia’s renewable project. It is largely non invasive on the general population and is an excellent idea. This project should definitely be allowed to proceed.

With abundantly publicly accessible information in regards to the wind farm, and indeed the Winterbourne Wind and Walcha Energy offices located on the Main Street offering information on wind farms in general and Winterbourne specifically for some years now, I have been able to source primary information and researched the effect of wind farms to then cross confirm it with the EIS on display.

The Winterbourne Wind farm will do countless amounts of good for the community of Walcha attracting jobs, temporary influx of money into the community during construction, sustainable and renewable energy, amongst many others.

The need for renewable energy cannot be understated in a contemporary society, and it is through projects like these that we are able to progress into a more sustainable, reliable and renewable society that the modern world demands

I support the Winterbourne Wind Farm project because:
- It will make a contribution towards the major need NSW has for renewable energy generation, a need driven by the state's desire to counter climate change
- Wind farms like Winterbourne offer attractive economics, both privately and socially
- The location of this particular farm is attractive because there is plenty of wind in the northern tablelands and the wind turbines will largely be out of site for almost everyone
- The owner of the private property involved is supportive

How can a project which completely destroys a community be approved?
The proposed project could be implemented in a more remote area which does not affect a community. All wind farms in the world are not located next to communities. This is disgusting.
Wind farms are also questionable with the production of the material used and these practices have not been debated by experts.
This isn’t environmentally friendly either as it will kill bird life.