Winterbourne Wind Farm

Object - Reference Winterbourne Wind Farm
If the recent Council elections can be used as a guide to the concerns residents of Walcha Shire have, the results are overwhelming; they do not agree with wind turbines in our area.
There were 2322 enrolled electors in Walcha Shire and at recent Council elections, 1891 formal votes were cast.
The three candidates supporting the wind turbines project and may eventually benefit financially, collectively received 105 votes - less than 7%.
Very sad as all have lived most of their lives in Walcha, are very respectable citizens, and would make excellent councillors.
Sincerely . . .

I stand by my previous submission dated 25/11/2024 and continue to object to this project.

I do not believe that the proponent has addressed the issues I have raised in am acceptable way.

The minor movements of turbines does not mitigate the impacts to the visual amenity from town.

The traffic movements I objected to have not substantially changed by moving OSOM movements to Thunderbolts Way. The planning department needs to ensure that the Walcha and Uralla councils are protected against financial loss by the impacts to the local roads during the construction of the project. Whilst the impacts of travel to Tamworth may be reduced, the additional impacts to Thunderbolts Way will now be heavily impacted, and travel to Uralla and Armidale for medical, business and social appointments will now be impacted.

The modifications to the project do not sufficiently mitigate the environmental impacts to native fauna or their habitat.

More generally, I also feel that the proponent has not sufficiently addressed the issues from submissions from the public, councils and agencies.

I object to this project on the basis that the whole so called renewable energy roll out is becoming an economic and social debacle
for NSW and Australia. We now have power prices three times that of the USA, this is a disaster for households and manufacturing in this country. High power prices are feeding into inflation and job losses. The rest of the world is going down the Nuclear energy path, but our Government insists on destroying the economy and the environment with an unachievable net zero target. Why
should taxpayers support this idiotic pipe dream?

My name is Jock Fenwicke, I’m 19, and I’m writing in support of the Winterbourne Wind project. The Fenwicke’s have been living in the Walcha district for 7 generations and of that we have been on my family farm Bywell since 1911, when my great-grandfather purchased it as uncleared land. Since before I was born, my father has been helping negotiate the Winterbourne Wind project and its associated community fund. This means that after decades of meetings and debates this project isn't just a good deal, it’s the deal.

Winterbourne Wind contains the single largest community fund ever proposed in Australia’s history. It’s composed of $1 million upfront followed by at least $750,000 annually, all to support the Walcha and Uralla communities. It will create over 400 jobs during construction and 16 long-term local service and technician roles. Moreover, a further $1.9 billion spent in capital investment for the creation of this project, will see hundreds of millions spent on regional NSW, creating new jobs and skills in our area.

From maintaining Riverview nursing home to creating fully funded university scholarships, to simply keeping our stores alive and thriving; the opportunities this project presents for our town and our broader region are endless. To ignore this project is to ignore the future of our beautiful town and the amazing people who make it beautiful.

Finally, I wholeheartedly believe that whether you agree on the existence of climate change or not, renewable wind energy just makes sense. Turbines are cheap, green and will be placed here in one of Australia’s greatest wind reserves. This project alone will meet 3% of the NSW 2030 emissions reduction targets.

But for me, the thing I find most beautiful is the turbine itself. Recently I’ve found myself driving to proposed sites and imagining them gracefully dancing along the hill peaks. I believe that they will simply add to the beauty of our property. Not only that but I’m also excited for the flattened base below where sheep and cattle can peg out in the shade of the turbine, on ridges that were once too rocky to comfortably inhabit.

All of this seems like a perfect deal, and I would be so proud to host these stunning examples of modern architecture, that will play such a vital role in the future of our town and our country.

I object to the Winterbourne Wind Farm Amendment Report and Project for the following reasons.

Firstly, the significantly heightened level of oversize vehicles travelling on Thunderbolts Way, a road that is not designed or capable for these vehicles, will cause constant disruption over the construction period, as well as leading to increased risk taking and dangerous driving, endangering anyone driving on these roads.

Secondly, there is no realistic workforce plan. Major logistics, such as the source of labour, accomodation, increased stress and demand on social services, among others have not been properly considered and planned for. This will likely disrupt and continue to tear the community apart well into the construction process.

Additionally, the source of critical materials, in particular gravel and water, is still unknown. There is no evident plan if the quarry and bores are insufficient, further demonstrating the lack of preparation from the developer.

Finally, there is still no decommissioning bond in place for the project, creating uncertainty about future ownership of the project, and the outcome if the developer were to run into financial problems.

To whom it may concern,
I’m writing to reconfirm my support for the development of Winterbourne wind farm, especially now Walcha and Uralla councils have adopted and signed the hugely generous community benefit fund ensuring the entirety of both communities will benefit for decades to come.
Sincerely Ross Fletcher

As one of the longest standing business owners in Walcha this project is a necessity for the survival of our town. It will bring in Hundreds if thousands of dollars that the community needs. However it is needed more as there will be a massive shortage of power if it is not allowed to proceed

AS A BUSINESS OWNER IN WALCHA, I FULLY SUPPORT THIS PROJECT. EXACTLY WHAT THE TOWN NEEDS. IT WILL HAVE A POSITIVE FINANCIAL BENEFIT TO EVERY BUSINESS IN TOWN. THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUND IS OUTSTANDING. NSW NEEDS POWER AND THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO APPROVE THIS PROJECT; WHAT A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY FOR A SMALL TOWN.

I object to the project on various grounds, and I have attached my submission.

I support the Winterborne Wind Project. Walcha needs an Industry and the Winterbourne Wind Farm is the perfect solution. Not only will it help farmers through droughts, it will bring jobs to town and benefit every business within a 100km radius. The Community Benefit Fund is exceptional and very generous; the town of Walcha will be fortunate to have this project.

The Winterbourne wind farm will have a huge impact on local roads given the amount of traffic that will be using the Thunderbolts way icluding oversize vehicles. This will impact greatly on the ability of local people to access Armidale and Tamworth and will also have a huge impact on farmers being able to move livestock to saleyards and feedlots.
The windfarm will also cause a lot of division in the Walcha community and cause untold stress on un associated neighbours and the people living in Walcha due to the close proximity to the town.
Their is also a world heritage area (oxley wild rivers national park) adjoining the wind farm and the damage this development will have on birds of prey like the wedge tail eagle is emense. For any person or government to approve this development knowing the damage it will cause to our loved enviroment and animals is quite simply absurd.

I support the proposed Winterbourne Wind Farm in Walcha. I believe the benefits of the Wind Farm will not be seen until the project is complete and the Community will then acknowledge the positive impact such a large scale project can have on their Community. This project will benefit local businesses including cafes, hotels, supermarkets, service stations, BNB's, pubs and create countless opprtunities for employment for local townspeople. This project needs to be approved for the township of Walcha to survive, whilst also playing a major part in upplying electricity to NSW homes and businsses.

The project and turbines are too close to the national park where the wild life / bird life will get affected.

My submission is provided in the attached document. I object to this project.

I wish to support the Winterbourne Wind Development, as with a development such as this Walcha would reap many benefits especially with the Community Benefit Fund.

I support this wind development because I think it will be beneficial to the Walcha community and the state of NSW.

I support the Winterbourne Wind Development. Having this development go ahead will provide jobs and boost the economy for Walcha.

I wish to support the Winterbourne Wind development. This development will give our small town of Walcha a great economic lift and it would go ahead in leaps and bounds.

I object to this proposal for the following reasons:

1. Inadequate Community Consultation
On paper, Winterbourne would have appeared to have ‘ticked all the boxes’ in completing a thorough and complete community consultation and engagement strategy. They regularly note that they had stalls in the Walcha Shows in 2020-2022. It is worth acknowledging that these stalls included Lego ‘wind turbines’ and sponsorships from Winterbourne for certain events at the Show – two actions that appear as potential bribery and persuasion. Outside of the Walcha Show, there had only been two-days in person engagement, held on the 10th and 11th of December 2021 – with only 68 attendees total across the two days. Winterbourne representatives have been invited to community events which have been ignored. Further, the Community Consultative Committee has not met since August 2022. No new community forum has been proposed as part of this amended proposal.

The submitted response by Winterbourne quote a submission from a land-owner who would benefit from this project, stating that consultation had been great – obviously a host landowner would have received regular communication…and would think the consultation has been positive.

If the consultation was successful and extensive as indicated by Winterbourne, how did the proposal receive a great number of objections in the initial notification period (from locals who actually live in the region and will be impacted by the proposal), and how did such a strong vocal opposition group form?

2. Adverse impact on flora and fauna
Winterbourne determined that 429.9 hectares of native vegetation, which includes habitats for animals like koalas, squirrel gliders, and the Glossy Black Cockatoo, would be removed for the proposal. It’s unclear how the amended proposal can then quote that ‘there are no serious and irreversible impacts’…? (p. 101). The New England area has experienced significant drought spells that can last for multiple years (as seen between 2015-2019), which has already had a devasting impact on native eucalypt. Any remaining tree coverage is important to protect. Using the fact that the land has largely been cleared previously for agricultural reasons is a weak excuse to still deliberately place turbines on densely forested ridges.

3. Size & Location
The Minister for Climate Change & Energy, Chris Bowen in June 2024 has set the new standard in visual amenity for wind farms. In response to submissions, he increased the distance for an offshore wind farm on the Illawarra coast from 10 to 20 klms and reduced the area too. ‘One of the concerns raised was visual amenity in this beautiful part of the world. To ensure that visual amenity is protected, we have moved the zone to 20klms away’.

While it is noted that this was raised following concerns from an off-shore wind farm, this principle should be applied to on-shore wind farms too. It is clear that the location of wind farms can impact how communities will receive large-scale renewable energy developments like this – take the Sapphire Wind Farm in Inverell for example, this is located at least 30km out of town. It is unfair that visual outlook onto the ocean is valued higher than those views achieved in Walcha.

Turbines that need to be removed/re-sited are: B021; B172A; B045A; B034A; B044; B033A; B036; B037; B038; B039; B024A; B025A; B028; B029; B030; B032A; B167A; B026A; B027A – 19 turbines

Part of the distrust in the local community is the secrecy demanded by Winterbourne Wind. Non-disclosure agreements; the covering up of incidents (eg blade failures, fires, etc), the divisions wrought by this proposed development are largely due to Winterbourne Wind’s opaqueness and arrogance. Winterbourne Wind has not held a community forum to explain the amended project since it was released on 8 October 2024. Given their track record to date, few in the Walcha community have any confidence that they will meet the conditions of consent that the Department, or other Departments, may impose.

Save Our Woodlands
Objections to wind farms


Why do we want wind farms?

1. We think that wind farms will produce the electricity we need, but wind farms produce electricity intermittently, about 30% of the time and we will still need other forms of power as a back-up. Germany the supposedly “green” country of Europe, imports electricity from France and other countries, (Wettengel 2024), when their renewable energy is deficient. Germany also exports energy when they have excess which is the fluctuating nature of renewable supply. Renewable energy supplies do not provide us with base power.


2. We think that renewable energy supplies will reduce the production of green house gases, which is mostly CO2, but we have been producing renewable energy for thirty years and there has not been one glitch in CO2 production. See the enclosed graph from Lindsey, (2023).




Why is this? There is a strong relationship between income and per capita, and CO2 emissions so countries with high standards of living have a high carbon footprint. (Ritchie & Roser 2020). Basically its our consumption which drives up CO2 levels and since we have an economy which relies on continual growth, can we see a future in which we lower our consumption? I think not. Wind farms are not going to solve this problem.

For us at Save Our Woodlands the environmental impact is the most important consideration. Wind farms need large areas of cleared ground just to manipulate the blades into position, they also need extensive road works, a concrete manufacturing plant and huge towers to transport power back to the grid. We appear to be destroying the environment for projects that will not solve our electricity problems.

In addition, the noise from wind turbines can be heard, inside a house 3.5 km away from the wind tower according to research by Nicole Hashman (2019). Animals and birds use sound just as much as we do to communicate with each other. They also need to sleep and how can anything sleep while being bombarded by noise? The noise effect of the wind turbines increases the area of environmental impact affected by the wind farm. The turbines are 600 metres apart (minimum) and have an effective radius of noise of 3.5 km each side, totalling 7 km x 600 metres=420 ha for every turbine. How can we even consider that this is an acceptable loss of habitat in an already critically damaged environment?

The effect of wind turbine noise seems to be intuitive, but when I looked up references there are dozens of peer reviewed papers supporting the theory. In India a study indicates that certain bird and mammal species avoided wind turbine-dominated sites (Kumara et al. 2022.) This is all very well but we have so little of our woodlands left where are they going to move to? We have already lost 95% of our woodlands (NSW Department of Planning and Environment 2022) and yet we want to destroy more. Isn't it ironic that the very Department who is proposing these wind-farms is the same one which is supposed to be protecting our environment. What chance does the environment have? Another peer reviewed paper states that wind turbine noise can have a detrimental effect on nearby wildlife, and can harm vital survival, social, and rearing mechanisms in certain species (Teff-Seker et al. 2022)

Here is a statement from the U.S Geological Survey (U.S.G.S., 2024). A key challenge facing the wind industry is the potential for turbines to adversely affect wild animals both directly, via collisions, as well as indirectly due to noise pollution, habitat loss, and reduced survival or reproduction. Among the most impacted wildlife are birds and bats, which by eating destructive insects provide billions of dollars of economic benefits to the country’s agricultural sector each year.

Wind turbines kill both birds and bats, are we going to continue to decimate our already declining numbers of birds? For nearly two decades, wind and wildlife ecologist. Emma Bennett’s company, Elmoby Ecology, has been using canines to count the victims of wind turbines in southern Australia. The numbers are troubling. Each turbine yields four to six bird carcasses per year, part of an overall death toll from wind turbines that likely tops 10,000 annually for the whole of Australia (not including carcasses carried away by scavengers). Such deaths are in the hundreds of thousands for North America. Far worse are the numbers of dead bats: The dogs find between six and 20 of these per turbine annually, with tens of thousands believed to die each year in Australia. In North America, the number is close to a million. (Zimmer, 2023.)

Australia’s threatened birds declined by nearly 60% on average over 30 years, according to new research that reveals the true impact on native wildlife of habitat loss, introduced pests, and other human-caused pressures (The Conversation, 2019.) This research was carried out by the University of Queensland in association with Bird life Australia. At this rate we will have no birds left by 2050, maybe by then the Department of Planning and Environment will be contented.

Finally I would like to remind you that historically every civilisation that has wrecked its environment has failed, and if we keep on destroying what little environment we have left this civilisation will destroy itself. Its not my children and grandchildren that will die, its those city people who so desperately want wind farms for their electricity.

References:

Hashman, N., (2019), Can wind turbines disturb sleep?
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/sustainability/can-wind-turbines-disturb-sleep-research-finds-pulsing-audible-in-homes-up-to-3-5km-away-20190617-p51yik.html#:~:text=A%20world%2Dfirst%20Australian%20study,to%20the%20low%2Demissions%20technology

Kumara, H.N., Babu, S., Rao, G.B.et al.Responses of birds and mammals to long-established wind farms in India.Sci Rep 12, 1339 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05159-1

LINDSEY, R. (2023) Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide

NSW Department of Planning and Environment, Looking after box-gum woodland (2022)
https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/news/looking-after-box-gum-woodland

Ritchie, H. and Roser, M. (2020) - “CO₂ emissions” Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions'

Teff-Seker, Y., Y. O. Berger-Tal, Y. Lehnardt, N. Teschner,( 2022), Noise pollution from wind turbines and its effects on wildlife: A cross-national analysis of current policies and planning regulations, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 168,2022,
112801,ISSN 1364-0321,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112801.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032122006852)

The Conversation, (2019), Australia’s threatened birds declined by 59% over the past 30 years.
https://theconversation.com/australias-threatened-birds-declined-by-59-over-the-past-30-years-128114

USGS ( U.S. Geological Survey) 2024 Energy and Wildlife ( 2024) Can wind turbines harm wildlife?

https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/can-wind-turbines-harm-wildlife

Wettengel, J (2024) Clean Energy Wire. Germany, EU remain heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels
https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/germanys-dependence-imported-fossil-fuels
Zimmer, K., (2023), How wind turbines could coexist peacefully with bats and birds,
https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/technology/2023/how-wind-turbines-could-coexist-peacefully-bats-and-birds