Winterbourne Wind Farm

I strongly object to the Winterbourne Wind project for the following reasons:
TOO BIG:
• A workforce of 390 will impact on locals’ access to services and trade.
• Increased pressure on short and long-term accommodation will impact local tourism and accommodation for events and visitors.
• Thunderbolts Way pavement is not adequate for OSOM vehicles.
• Empty OSOM vehicles travelling upon their return journey would impact other major arterial roads in our local community.
• Source of resources (gravel and water) is still not known. What will be the impact on shallow water tables to local neighbours?
WRONG SPOT:
• The closest turbine is approximately 6km from the Walcha township. Should be 10km.
• Access to the project for construction vehicles is going to severely impact local businesses and the rural community of Walcha.
• Biodiversity impacts are at an unacceptable level as a result of the location in sensitive areas, adjacent to the World Heritage Area, Oxley Wild Rivers National Park and wilderness areas.
• Turbines would impede fire-fighting and aerial fertilising operations.
LOW LEVEL OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT:
• To date, the developers have not addressed the community regarding the Response of Submissions despite 74% of Walcha Local Government Area’s objections to the original EIS.
• There is still no decommissioning plan or bond. This leaves the land holders and the community at risk of abandoned wind turbines at the end of the project life.
AN UNTRUSTWORTHY ORGANISATION:
• Questionably, many of the mitigating features of the project rely on self-regulation of activities by Winterbourne Wind.
• The Community Benefit Fund operational payments do not start until the project is fully commissioned.
• If an organisation is unable to properly deal with NSW DPIE requirements (rules and regulations) before determination, they will be even less motivated to deal with them properly after approval.

My name is David Lisle. I was born and raised in Walcha, and after finishing my economics degree I worked in Sydney for 12 months before returning to the family property.
I have lived in Walcha for the last 43 years, and together with my wife, have raised our children here. I have worked and developed our approximately 4,000 acres through good rains, many devastating droughts and fires. Throughout all this, we have worked together with our local community to support each other, been involved with the schools, volunteered in clubs and various societies and have formed lifelong ties. Walcha is more than just our home and workplace. Walcha is our life.
I have been to many meetings and had many discussions involving the Winterbourne Wind Project. I have many concerns about the project and I now strongly object to the development of the Winterbourne Wind Project based on these key concerns.
My key concerns are: -
1) Increase of traffic and the destruction of roads
The location of the project site necessitates that all traffic entering the site, travels through the township of Walcha. The EIS infers that the traffic travels around the town. Vestas have tried to make it appear that the traffic will not travel through the township when, in reality, all traffic will be travelling through the Walcha township.
I have studied the routes proposed by Vesta, and very heavy traffic and many support vehicles, will be travelling through the township and past residences. It will be travelling directly in front of the local preschool which is of great concern. These are young children between the ages of 3-5 whose playground is only metres away from the road on which these vehicles will be travelling. The noise levels of the vehicles, compression braking, and dust levels cannot be mitigated in any way. Vestas does not address this issue at all.
The road these vehicles will be taking, continues past the Walcha Showground where there are many events throughout the year, many of which involve 2–3-day horse events, including camp drafts, rodeos and pony clubs. Horses are all yarded in makeshift pens along the fence lines of the showground where their owners camp along side them. The noise levels of the trucks and compression braking could cause horses to ‘spook’ which could result in serious injury or death to these horses and their riders. Vestas has not addressed this issue at all. Also, if a horse accident did result, who is liable? and who will compensate the owners? Again, noise and dust levels from the travelling heavy vehicles has not been addressed and cannot be mitigated.
The Walcha Pony Club holds an annual event to teach young people how to care for horses, how to handle them, and how to ride horses. These children range in age from 3 years to teenagers. It would be extremely foolish, and irresponsible, to have huge numbers of heavy vehicles travelling past the Showground so closely to young children learning to ride horses. It is clear, that Vestas has no understanding of horses and the dangers of horses and children combined. Again, if an accident was to happen as a result of these vehicles travelling past the showground during an event, who would be responsible and held be accountable?
The Walcha Showground also hosts hockey and other sporting events on a weekly basis. During these times the volume of traffic and pedestrian movement is large and parking is always an issue. Vestas has not addressed the issue of how vehicles are going to navigate these roads with families parking along the same road and with children of all ages crossing the roads to get to and from the Showground.
The proposed traffic routes that Vestas has outlined includes many bus routes. The Walcha Showground is also a bus stop area for local school buses and for buses going to and from Armidale. The risk to children walking and riding their bikes to the school bus stops, and then waiting on the side of the road for the buses, is frightening. The risk to buses travelling on the challenging roads with truckdrivers who are inexperienced with the local conditions is too dangerous to consider. The EIS states that they will give bus drivers CB radios to communicate with the project traffic, but this is not a solution, and is prone to more risks. Unless project traffic is stopped completely during the times the buses and children are on the road, the risk is unacceptable. If there is an accident, who is going to be accountable and who is going to accept responsibility.

Vestas has acknowledged that there will be an increase in traffic but has tried to make it appear that the increase in traffic will be within reason. This is not the case. The increase in traffic will enormous. There will be large trucks, heavy equipment, machinery and many support vehicles coming in and out of Walcha on a daily basis for many, many years. It is estimated that during the construction period of three years there will be an additional 288 trucks per day. Over the peak period of 11 months of construction it is estimated that will be result in some of the construction routes (including the Oxley highway) will have an additional 800 truck movements per day. This will have a massive impact of the local residents, businesses, local resources and infrastructure.
There will be an enormous disruption to traffic flow in and around the Walcha district. This will be highly unpredictable, cannot be anticipated and will therefore cause huge inconveniences to Walcha residents and businesses. There are many services that cannot be sourced in Walcha and many residents have to travel to Tamworth or Armidale on a regular basis eg for medical and dental services, radiology and oncology services. Oncology patients are sick enough without having to spend an extra hour or two in the car, each way, because of disruption to traffic flow.
School bus services will be directly affected, and Vestas has not addressed, or has no social conscious, to the serious nature that disruption to school routines has on school children.
The roads in and around Walcha are simply not built for the size and scale of the vehicles that will be bringing heavy machinery, equipment and parts to the project site. Vestas has downplayed the size, scale and volume of machinery coming through the township of Walcha. Many of the roads are too narrow and windy to accommodate these large vehicles. Vestas has stated that they will widen the roads, but they will not be cambered, and will cause serious erosion in and around water flow areas. Once these roads are widened and Vestas has left who is going to be responsible for maintaining these roads? Is Vestas going to narrow the roads again and put a camber on them?
If Vestas widens and tries to straighten the windy Walcha roads, will local land holders loose valuable gazing land when roads are straightened and who will compensate them for this and how will this will be done equitably? Who is the arbitrator in this instant?

2) transmission lines
While the visual impact of the wind turbines across our landscape will be devasting, very little has been said about the transmission lines. Where are these to be built? Across whose land? Will they be near residences?
There is no reference in the EIS as to where or when these transmission lines will be built or who will be impacted by them. This omission is not acceptable at all.
Will residents be compensated if these transmission lines go across their land? How long will it take to build these lines? Will landholders have access to their land during construction?
Vestas or the EIS has not touched on the EMF (Electro magnetic fields) associated with the transmission lines. EMF can increase the risk of cancer and other diseases. I have cancer and will now be on treatment for life. I do not want to have any exposure to the EMF’s associated with the transmission lines, that may impact my health. How can I avoid this situation if there is no information on EMF’s in the EIS?
3) Impact of BPA’s
Bisphenol A, or BPA is an industrial chemical used to make certain plastics and resins. It is an organic synthetic compound which is an endocrine disrupting toxin. It is used to strengthen wind turbine blades. These blades contain 30% BPA.
When the blades are exposed to heat, cold and rain, nanoparticles of BPA can be released and can seep into the water and soil and enter the food chain. Flakes of BPA can also be leaked into the environment as blades break down further. Flakes of BPA and/or nanoparticles released from the blades can cause serious permanent contamination and health issues.
The Mayo clinic has stated that “exposure to BPA is a major concern because of the possible health effects on the brain and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children. It can also affect childrens’ behaviour. Additional research suggests a possible link between BPA and increased blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease”.
Again, I state that I have cancer and will now be on treatment for life. What will be my risk of exposure for just living in the Walcha area?

I have many other concerns in regards to the construction of the wind turbines as well:- too many to list here, but I want to state that I strongly object to the entire Winterbourne Wind Project.

David Lisle

I own and live on rural land in the immediate vicinity of the proposed Winterbourne Wind project. I am a primary producer of beef cattle on this property and provide beef for consumption by the Australian public at large. My property is located at 332 Chinnocks Road, Walcha (Moona Plains) and is identified as ‘SR272’ on the maps in the EIS for the Winterbourne Wind project.
I strongly object to the Winterbourne Wind project for the following reasons:
Landscape and Visual Impact
Photomontage 6B of our property, 332 Chinnocks Road, Walcha, in the original submission is outdated and is intentionally misleading. This photograph was taken on 15th November 2021, nearly 3 years ago. In Photomontage 6b, there are 2 proposed wind turbines ‘hidden’ behind a branch of a tree. This branch is no longer there and if the photograph was taken recently, the montage would show 4 wind turbines rather than 2. In due course, as the tree is a wattle tree that is close to the end of its natural life span, the tree will naturally no longer be in place in the next 12 months and all 4 proposed wind turbines will be easily seen.
Photomontage 6A of our property, 332 Chinnocks Road, Walcha, (S272) shows that an additional 11 wind turbines will be in our line of sight. 15 in total.
It is important to understand that the photographs were taken from our ‘house’ garden. The visual impact from the wind turbines from our property goes well beyond the areas shown in the photomontages. We live AND work on our property. From the highest point of our property, in the evening we can see the lights of homes in the Walcha township – which is, measured in a straight line, approximately 25kms away. From many areas of our property, we will see more than 60 wind turbines. Hopefully, this may help you understand that the visual impact is far wider than those demonstrated in Photomontage 6b. With a working beef cattle production property, we cannot simply sit in our house, we work on the land and we will always be impacted by the visual site of the wind turbines if this project goes ahead. We will always be affected by the sound. The project will be adversely detrimental to our mental health and will be physically debilitating and this will be at a cost to the NSW government and the NSW health system.
Table 6 in the Addendum to Landscape and Visual Assessment is based on the photographs taken in 2021. It is therefore outdated. To consider that the numbers of wind turbines, as referred to above, has been assessed as being moderate is a severe understatement and is not credible.
It is incredible to believe that wind turbines can be placed within 1.76km (B151) of a person’s home. This totally unacceptable.
The Project does NOT have a Social Licence to Operate:
The effective co-existence of businesses and individuals within a community requires the development of rich and enduring relationships based on mutual respect and understanding.
Winterbourne Wind’s amendment report has skewed the data and has mispresented the true statistics.
In Winterbourne Wind's Response to Submissions they stated "Winterbourne Wind has Community Support!".
Winterbourne Wind’s claim is misleading and a gross misrepresentation of statistics, as explained:
The vast majority of support for the project is from the ‘Broader Community’. By definition, these are greater than 100km from the project site. When these are analysed closely, they are largely comments from industry supporters, philosophical devotees, or a network of employees and operators in the industry. They are NOT people who are impacted by the project, and they are NOT familiar with the details. The nature of one paragraph and generic submissions in responses to the original EIS demonstrated this clearly.
When you combine local (<5km from project) and regional (5-100km from project) submissions (ie. excluding those made from Ontario, Canada, and Surry Hills, Sydney etc.), the result is 429 submissions made with 317 objecting. This is about 74% objections from those that know the project intimately, or take an interest (local and regional submissions).
The claimed ‘support’ of the project includes land hosts that are financially motivated to support, but count for less than 26% of the local and regional submissions.
When the Winterbourne Wind amendment report became available, the organisation developing the project were ask to hold a community information evening. Their answer was an explicit “no”. They went on to comment that they “have done enough to explain the project to the community”. This is procedural unfairness and contempt by the developers once again shown to the Walcha community.
Figure 1-2 Project Locality plan inadequately demonstrates the area that the project will affect. The project area has been defined in the original Social Impact Assessment of covering approximately 2,234km2. In reality, the project will affect every resident in the Walcha Local Government Area (LGA), covering 6,261km2. In addition to this, as the social affect will not be limited to the Walcha LGA it will also affect broader areas including Uralla, Armidale, Tamworth and all regional areas where the wind turbines will be transported through.
The developer of the Winterbourne Wind project does NOT have the social licence to operate the proposed project. With a social license to operate being made up of three components: legitimacy, credibility, and trust, it is well demonstrated in the misleading amended report that the developers of the Winterbourne Wind are not legitimate, not credible and not trustworthy. The amended report, like the original report, continues to demonstrate that the developer does not have a social licence to operate.

The Project is NOT in the Interest of the Public:
The social fabric of a rural community is the backbone to the community being able to be resilient when disasters occur and to be able to rebuild both practically and emotionally. The Winterbourne Wind project has divided the Walcha community at large and will continue to do so if the project proceeds. The project will destroy the social fabric of the Walcha community and this will create a community that is not resilient and a community that will not be able to recover from disasters. The NSW government spends a lot of funding towards creating resilient communities by providing millions and millions of dollars in grants to increase the well-being and connections of rural communities. The NSW government also spends a lot of money running ‘disaster’ and ‘resilient community’ workshops. The NSW government spends of lot of money in producing websites and paper handouts in the efforts to create resilient community.
In a community like Walcha, the well-being of the community and connectiveness is paramount to not only the health and survival of the community, it is also paramount to the continuing efficiencies of agriculture to supply the nation with food and clothing.
It is important to note the cumulative effect of any decline in the mental well-being of the resident population of the Walcha community. This community is closely connected. There are at least 5 generations living and working within the community. Along with many other long established rural Australian regions, the families of the Walcha community are inherently connected. In the Walcha community, any outcome of poor mental health not only affects the person and their immediate family, it affects the broader community either through inter-relations or social groups and sporting clubs.
By the NSW government approving the Winterbourne Wind project, it will divide and destroy the Walcha community, breaking the strong backbone that the community is extremely lucky to have, and this will be at a cost to not only to the state of New South Wales, it will be at a cost to Australia as a nation.
The funds spent via grants building the resilience of the community will be wasted. The funds spent on workshops, websites and paper- based information sheets will be wasted. The cost of destroying the agricultural land and its capacity to contribute to the food and clothing for the residents of the nation. The cost to the NSW health system through poor mental well-being will increase.
The negative social affects from the Winterbourne Wind project will create a monumental fiscal impact on not only the NSW government, it will also affect the Federal Government. This is not in the interest of the public. The Winterbourne Wind project is not in the interest of the public. The community objection to the project needs to be heard.

I own and live on rural land in the immediate vicinity of the proposed Winterbourne Wind project. I am a primary producer of beef cattle on this property and provide beef for consumption by the Australian public at large. My property is located at 332 Chinnocks Road, Walcha (Moona Plains) and is identified as ‘SR272’ on the maps in the EIS for the Winterbourne Wind project.
I strongly object to the Winterbourne Wind project for the following reasons:
High Health Impact – Physical and Mental Health:
I believe the following issues will affect my physical and mental health:
• Elevated noise during construction.
• Elevated dust during construction.
• Elevated and constant noise and vibration when turbines are in operation.
• Flicker from the blades when turbines are in operation.
• Reduced ability for efficient bushfire control due to aerial water bombing ceasing in the location of turbines. Living in an area that is prone to bushfires, as is much of rural Australia, and with there being at LEAST 1 hour before a firefighting truck can reach our place (giving time for the trucks to be readied then driven to our place – and this is based on experience) it is paramount to have the efficiency of aerial water bombing available. It is mentally disturbing, terrifying actually, to think that the safety of myself, visitors to our place, other residents and our livestock and pets, along with our assets with the most important being our home, will be put in danger due to the introduction of wind turbines. I will live in constant fear and threat and this will, without a doubt, have an extreme negative mental health impact on my wellbeing on a daily basis.
Road Works Prior to, During and After Construction and Extremely Negative Impact from Traffic Congestion:
The Winterbourne Wind project will have an extremely severe and negative impact on the roads in our area, ie the Moona Plains district. These roads are not built for the levels and regularity of the heavy transport that is proposed with the project. Once the roads need repair, this will take time and will increase the time and safety of travel to our nearest available essential supplies and health providers. This will not only be inconvenient, in terms of accessing food and other essential supplies, in an emergency this will put the safety of my life at risk. The congestion created by the slow and wide transport of the various components of the wind turbines and associated machinery needed for the construction and operation of the wind turbines will also add to the risk of the safety and health of both humans and livestock. The Moona Plains Road is narrow – there will be NO access around anything wider than a standard heavy vehicle. The road will be blocked every time, EVERY TIME, a component of each – EACH – wind turbine is transported along Moona Plains Road. Every time – EVERY TIME – this happens, it will be putting both human and livestock lives at risk due to emergency services not being able to maneuver around oversized and heavy ladened vehicles.
Reckless Biodiversity Risk Assessment:
Several species, such as the glossy black cockatoo, little lorikeet, scarlet robin and flame robin are regular visitors to my property and are listed threatened species. Frequently seen glossy black cockatoos and wedge-tailed eagles would particularly be affected by the turbines. The risks of interference by turbines to bird life has been extremely under-estimated in the EIS.

Biodiversity Offset Scheme
This is an absolute joke and disgust. Paying money which gives the developers a right to kill protected and endangered animals and birdlife. This will not ensure the continuance of the protected and endangered animals. Money will not increase these populations. Ironically, it is money that will be killing off these protected and endangered animals and birdlife.
Increased Bush Fire Control Risk:
Water bombing is a widely used and efficient method of bushfire control in our district and in most rural areas of Australia. It is a method of bushfire control that is used worldwide. In some instances, it is the ONLY method of bushfire control, particularly in steep, inaccessible areas such as the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park which is the immediate proximity of the proposed Winterbourne Wind project. If aerial water bombing is stopped due to the wind turbines surrounding our home, it is creating a high risk of loss of lives - not only myself and my wife and neighbours – but also of all of the thousands of livestock in the district. It is also increasing the risk of the loss of our assets including our homes. How is this going to affect the cost of insurance premiums when the insurance companies come to learn of this increased risk? How will it affect our financial sustainability as primary producers?
Knowing that the most efficient method of bushfire control in our area will be no longer allowed will create heightened emotional distress when bushfires start – and they will, they WILL ALWAYS start. Coping with a bushfire in close-proximity is difficult enough without knowing that there are inadequate firefighting capabilities in the form of aerial water bombing available. Where we live, there is only one road in and the same road out, with some areas of our property not easily accessible by road therefore aerial water bombing is intrinsic to our safety.
Visual Impact:
The visual impact of the wind turbines, with 22 visible from my home and 11 in the immediate vicinity of my home (SR272) will be soul destroying and heartbreaking. There will be many more wind turbines will be visible from my paddock work-place where I spend my daylight hours. With the highest point on my property being 1285 metres above sea level, it is one of the higher points of the Moona Plains district. In the night sky, I can see the lights of houses in Walcha – some 25km in a straight line away. I cannot fathom how detrimental these visual monstrosities will be to my mental health. It is said that in Sydney CBD, there are only 16 buildings over 200 metres. The wind turbines in the Winterbourne Wind project are proposed to be 220 metres. There are 118 wind turbines proposed for the Winterbourne Wind project. Therefore, there are 102 more high structures proposed for the rural Walcha region. This represents 543% more structures over 200m than there are in the Sydney CBD. 543% more – and in a rural, high-yielding agricultural area!
Negative Tourism Impact:
The second most important industry for Walcha is tourism. It is yet to reach its full potential. Walcha has one of the most significant outdoor sculpture galleries in Australia. The natural beauty of the Walcha district in any season is stunning - the open spaces and the night skies are unsurpassable. I am certain that visitors will not flock to Walcha to see the ugliness of the wind turbines inflicted upon the skyline of Walcha. In fact, it will have an extreme negative impact on the future tourism of Walcha and therefore the economy of Walcha and the mental health of the community of Walcha. This is not in the public interest.

No Social Licence:
The Winterbourne Wind amended report does not demonstrate that the project has social licence to operate. Data presented is misleading in many instances.
With a social license to operate being made up of three components: legitimacy, credibility, and trust, it is well demonstrated in the misleading amended report that the developers of the Winterbourne Wind are not legitimate, not credible and not trustworthy. The amended report, like the original report, continues to demonstrate that the developer does not have a social licence to operate.
The Project is NOT in the Interest of the Public:
The NSW government spends a lot of funding towards creating resilient communities by providing millions and millions of dollars in grants to increase the well-being and connections of rural communities. In a community like Walcha, the well-being of the community and connectiveness is paramount to not only the health an survival of the community, it is also paramount to the continuing efficiencies of agriculture to supply the nation with food and clothing.
It is important to note the cumulative effect of any decline in the mental well-being of the resident population of the Walcha community. This community is closely connected. There are at least 5 generations living and working within the community. Along with many other long established rural Australian regions, the families of the Walcha community are inherently connected. In the Walcha community, any outcome of poor mental health not only affects the person and their immediate family, it affects the broader community either through inter-relations or social groups, special interest groups and sporting clubs to name just a few.
By the NSW government approving the Winterbourne Wind project, it will divide and destroy this community, essentially breaking the strong backbone that the community is extremely lucky to have, and this will be at a cost to not only to the state of New South Wales, it will be at a cost to Australia as a nation.
The funds spent via grants building the resilience of the community will be wasted. The undeniable cost of destroying the agricultural land and its capacity to contribute to the food and clothing for the residents of the nation. The cost to the NSW health system through poor mental well-being will increase.
The project will create a monumental fiscal impact on not only the NSW government, it will also affect the Federal Government and this is not in the interest of the public. The Winterbourne Wind project is not in the interest of the public.

Traffic - Emu Creek Road is my access road to Walcha. The road was only recently widened from a single lane tarred surface but cars have to move to the edge of the road to pass, trucks have to move one wheel off the tar to pass, oversize trucks that will transport wind turbines and parts will force oncoming traffic completely off the road to pass. Many sections of Emu Creek Road have no area to allow cars to move of the road and cars will be forced to dangerously reverse long distances to allow the oversize vehicle to pass. I will have loaded cattle trucks that will find the route to Walcha too dangerous to navigate or be forced to reverse long distances that will be dangerous and delay delivery.
Night Lighting of the turbines - CASA has advised lighting will be necessary and have indicated significant negative impacts of lighting on neighbours. The CASA report suggests some ways to reduce the impact but Winterbourne Wind does not provide any details of how it is going to light the turbines. As my farm has 180 degree view of about 80 turbines I request the proponent provide lighting details before any approvals are given.
Biosecurity - My farm is a wagyu beef cattle breeding operation that supplies feeder cattle to feedlots for long term feeding mainly for the Chinese market. Biosecurity is paramount to maintaining trade especially with China's focus on meat quality including residues in meat. Wind turbines release contaminates that find their way into soils and waterways. I have 3 creeks on my property that originate in the wind turbine areas so are open to contamination and wind contamination particles can be deposited in the soils as the turbines are due east of my property with the prevailing wind being from the east. If any residues are found in beef from my property that can be traced back to turbine micro-particles the ensuing compensation will be massive.

i object to the Winterbourne Project because:
1. it is located in the wrong place - the Walcha Shire and New England Tableland is the site of very substantial agricultural activity and production of beef, wool and lamb.
It is home to prime agricultural land and very high stocking rates unlike many other locations. This development will impede the continued productive operation of those agricultural business by road damage and congestion from the many truck and light vehicle movements envisaged during construction and operation.
The development will also damage visual amenity with multiple wind turbine towers dotting the skyline and in some cases very close to the township of Walcha.
It will damage access to the Shire generally and increase risks to local road users due to increased traffic during construction and operation.
Damage to wildlife - birds, bats and proximity to National Parks make the development totally unacceptable.
2. The Community does not provide support for this development for a range of reasons. if it does not have overwhelming community support it does not have licence to be built or operated in this area. Consequently, the development will divide the community if it proceeds with potentially devastating impact on the long term amenity of Walcha.
From what i understand, there is no formal bonding arrangement in place with the developer/approval applicant for land disturbance if approval is given. if the NSW Govt sees fit to approve this project, a condition of approval must be for bonds to be placed before construction commences for the total amount of cost to rehabilitate the entire project once it is decommissioned. this rehab cost must be determined by an independent estimator. This cost of bonding should be allocated to the account of the developer. if this approach is not taken, the Shire and its landowners will bear the brunt of the costs of restoration of the developed area once the project is decommissioned. This would be totally unacceptable.

I object to the proposed Winterbourne Wind Farm development SDD-10471.
This project will have significant, disastrous consequences for the Walcha community.
Our labour force is already stretched and aging, significant further labour pressure will have detrimental consequences to our local businesses which are predominately the production of high-quality food and fibre.
The local road infrastructure proposed to be used for the delivery of the OSOM is grossly inadequate and often in disrepair. These roads are too narrow, have no verges to pull over, frequented by locals and school children commuting to and from schools and places of employment. We do not know the proposed routes for the delivery of the construct materials, likely Bucketts Way/Thunderbolts Way. These roads are also narrow with no verges and often in disrepair.
These concerns are a few of many and we are only commenting on the proposition of one project. There are numerous projects pencilled for the NE REZ and in particular the Walcha area. There is no consideration in this project for the cumulative impacts of multiple developments.
Objection is also made regarding the project's boundary being only 6.5km from the township of Walcha. This should be minimum of 10km.
Further objection is made for the complete and overwhelming community objection and concern to the project. Winterbourne Wind has made next to zero effort to engage with the community and explain their development. They have advertised for the community to go and see them individually if they have concerns but are unwilling to submit to any community forum or Q and A. We have to go to them, NOT them come to us and explain and listen to our concerns.

Environmental Benefits: Wind energy is clean and renewable, meaning it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. By supporting the Winterbourne Wind Farm, we contribute to the fight against climate change, helping to create a healthier planet for future generations.

Energy Independence: Wind farms decrease reliance on fossil fuels, which can fluctuate in cost and availability. Supporting Winterbourne Wind Farm enhances energy security by creating a steady, local supply of electricity.

Economic Growth: The construction and maintenance of the wind farm will create jobs and stimulate economic growth in the local community. This investment can benefit nearby towns through job creation and increased revenue.

Lower Energy Costs: As wind energy production increases, energy prices can decrease over time. Supporting the Winterbourne Wind Farm can lead to more affordable energy options for everyone in the community.

Community Investment: Many wind farms provide funding and grants to support local projects and improvements. By supporting the Winterbourne Wind Farm, we also support long-term community benefits, from educational grants to infrastructure improvements.

Supporting the Winterbourne Wind Farm is a meaningful step towards a sustainable, economically stable, and healthier future for everyone.

The Winterbourne Wind Farm project will be a great thing for Walcha. The funding from the project will go towards new community developments that the whole catchment will benefit from. The financial benefit to farmers means more money will go into sustainable projects and create more local jobs. This will be such a good initiative for the whole Walcha community.

Other benefits include-
* The Environmental benefits alone reducing Green House Gases via more economical energy production
* Employment opportunities are endless for the local community
* Extra income for local businesses and community
* Passive income for rainy days, drought, flood & fire events
* Better roads and access’s in/on farms for all weather events
* Use of on farm quarry resources to help build better roads providing such things as gravel, sand, etc for extra income
* Sponsorship local sporting and recreational facilities
* Extra income for farmers during events like drought, flood, fire etc
* Extra local community spending
* Local employment creating traineeships, apprenticeships part-time and fulltime jobs
* Increased opportunities in tourism. There is evidence to suggest that a wind farm can increase the tourism in an area as wind turbines are seen as an attraction to the general public.
* Passive income with the money being spent in local area
* Development opportunity for the locals create new business’s
* Improved local council facilities

Finally, please consider all these benefits for everybody and approve this development.

Please find objections in attached document

I am writing in support of the Winterbourne Wind project for the following reasons after reading the amendments in the EIS.
1. Transport route altered: This is a great solution for the Walcha community as will reduce the burden on local traffic on the busy Oxley Highway and divert it to a substantially better road that is much easier to manage large trucks and escort vehicles with minimal interruption to the local traffic.
2. The movement of towers: The developer has carefully considered the layout of towers and any sensitive towers that were considered to be located too close to any residences or National Parks have been relocated to assure there is minimal disturbance to residents and native flora and fauna.
3. Water: The residents of Walcha have been concerned about how the developer would source enough water to supply the project with its required volumes. This has been carefully thought out by the developer which have come up with several very reliable and unimposing sources with nil impact imposed on the local community.
4. Gravel and Road materials: The developer has again come up with a very sensible solution to the issues which were raised in the original EIS. They have developed a strategic plan with a major quarry proposed that is located on private land and on a road that imposes nil impact on local traffic.
Summary: I fully support this proposed Winterbourne Wind project and have nil opposition to any of the project plans. NSW requires electricity and is falling behind in its objective of 80 percent renewables by 2030. NSW is taking 10 times longer than Victoria and South Australia to approve renewable developments, and this should be looked at as a serious issue for the state moving forward. If we do not approve new developments, then we can say goodbye to having a reliable power source for the state.

• The Winterbourne Wind Farm Project will benefit the whole of the Walcha community with the Community Benefit Fund which will help to fund many local groups and associations into the future.
• The local council will benefit with many roads being upgraded and other council infrastructure also being upgraded.
• Local farmers that will be hosting the turbines will have a passive income that they will be able to spend at local bussiness’s as well as improving their own farm at the same time.
• It will have a very positive impact on the local economy during construction and project operation.
• More jobs will be available for locals.
• Local contractors will have the opportunity to gain lots of work during construction and operation of the Wind Farm.
• It will also help Walcha Council to hopefully stay as a stand-alone council and reduce the chance of Amalgamation with a larger council which no one in Walcha want to occur.

Whilst I do not live full time in the area I maintain strong connections with area having resided there for in excess of 20 years and still visit the area at least every 2 months for friends and family reasons. I would like the town to remain and grow in the future. I don't want to see it as a ghost town like many others. We need genuine ongoing investment for current and future residents, consideration to climate change and we certainly do not require nuclear anywhere around this area or anywhere else for that matter. I have read a number of media releases for and against over past year or so and note a number of those against highlight concerns around aesthetics what they might see and not what they can see. A not in my backyard attitude but agree with the need for alternates to coal gas etc. but not prepared to give something a go. That will produce much need electricity for homes, business and motor vehickes.
Those hosting the towers are trying to also protect their futures, by deriving an income which could assist in drought and ongoing costs for farming money to be spent in the town.
Should I want to return to the area to live in the future I would need to give it a lot of thought as it appears others prefer the town stagnate and die, what would be left if we do not get some investment - a ghost town, no amenities, services, rates beyond people's ability to pay nothing to look forward to to come home to, no future for the next generations - most will need to move away for work, education and health treatments, most small towns struggle to even retain doctors, development with income can only be good for the area.

EIS Winterbourne Wind Farm Submission

I strongly disagree with the construction of the Winterbourne
wind Farm, NSW.
I say
1. NO, to the size and location. 22,000 hectares of prime agricultural land producing fibre and food. 118 turbines, 230 metres high. 113 km of new roads, demand on existing roads, 50km of new transmission lines, the impact on the flora, fauna and the physical environment.
2. NO, to the disruption that will be caused by construction traffic. 512 light vehicles.142 heavy vehicles, a total of 654 vehicles per day, without considering OSOM vehicles. Roads available for construction of the WINTERBOURNE WIND Farm are totally inadequate. The road from Bendemeer to Walcha, Oxley Highway is narrow and has very limited overtaking areas. Parts are steep, narrow and winding, especially at Walcha Road where a one lane bridge is located, followed by a section of road that is very steep. The road from Uralla to Walcha, Thunderbolt’s Way is maintained by the councils. It has parts that are steep and narrow. Councils do not have the funds available from rate payers to improve and maintain this road to cater for over sized, over massed vehicles.
The local roads, Emu Creek Road, Winterbourne Road and the Bark Hut Road are also narrow and not suitable for construction traffic. Where will the funds come from to develop these roads to a high standard? Certainly the Walcha Council is unable to undertake extensive road improvements including a bridge! Has this been determined in the EIS amendment report? Roads are to be widened to 6.2m. Given that some loads are 5.9m wide, this does not leave any room for a 2.5m truck coming in the opposite direction.
A major concern is also the lack of provision for school bus pick up and drop off zones. Currently there are no school bus zones where the bus can safely pull off the road and allow children to meet people picking them up. Parking is non-existent and with the movements of construction traffic it is extremely dangerous. Using CB radios to communicate with bus drivers is a joke. It is UHF technology.
3. NO, to the demand on rental accommodation that is extremely limited in Walcha and surrounding cities. No, to the drain on the very limited work force available in Walcha.
4. NO, because of the lack of decommissioning details and funding that should be set aside for this.
5. NO, to the health impacts to neighbours and township residents. Noise, vibration, dust, flicker, fibre dispersal, visual and traffic impacts. Concerns are also raised for Walcha residents living on the designated traffic route. Noise, congestion by vehicles will be overwhelming as the construction period is for 52 months.
6. NO, there are very limited resources of gravel and water available in the local area for the construction of the wind turbines and associated infrastructure. Resources for WINTERBOURNE WIND turbine construction has been investigated for gravel and water. Water, 800 mega litres is to be sourced from bores on properties along the Bark Hut Road. This is unrealistic! The New England Tablelands underground aquifers are not linked to the Great Artesian Basin. The water is in limited volume. In recent droughts bores in Walcha area have been pumped dry and these bores are generally only supplying water to sheep and cattle on farms.
Bore testing has been done by WINTERBOURNE WIND but this occurred in 2024 while there was a winter of extreme rainfall for this area. The top layer of ground was water logged, therefore replenishing the aquifers quickly.
7. NO, to the possibility of disruptions to telecommunications signals. Business and personal requirements, essential especially in emergency situations. Mobile phone reception is very limited in the WINTERBOURNE WIND farm area with many black spots. Will communication between vehicles and construction managers and workers meet the requirements to co-ordinate construction adequately and provide safe working conditions? Are the Winterbourne Wind developers planning to upgrade mobile phone towers?
8. NO, to the inadequate biodiversity study on the wind farm habitat. Completed in Winter after a severe drought and a nearby extreme bushfire. Minimal follow up studies have been conducted, but their own report states that the studies are inadequate
9. NO, to the destruction of native habitat and using an Ecosystem Credit scheme to compensate our beautiful environment. It’s home to endangered and threatened species. It cannot be replaced.
10. NO, to the creation of a no-fly zone for aircraft. No aerial fertilizer application by air, no rescue helicopter, no bushfire aircraft for firefighting on farms and in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. Disastrous!
11. NO, to foreign owned developers and foreign owned control of our electricity and energy prices.
12. NO, because the Wind Turbine hosts, neighbours, community and local council DID NOT have the detailed facts and associated impacts available to them in the EIS before signing agreements. A very limited knowledge to base major decisions on. With the changed road access on the Bark Hut Road to the Moona Area for turbine construction, the increased vehicle traffic for acquiring gravel and water resources beside this road the developers need to re-assess the Neighbourhood Agreements made to reflect the impacts and inconvenience to residents. The present residential environment is very quiet and less than 1 vehicle using this road per hour, per day. Only 4 residents live along the road.
13. Farm biosecurity plans made and implemented associated with the wind farm hosts should be adhered to. This will prevent the spread of noxious weeds and farm animal diseases such as Ovine Johne’s virus. Access to farms by wind farm construction teams are held accountable by biosecurity laws.
14. Extreme social disharmony between those for support or disagree with WINTERBOURNE WIND within the Walcha Council area is evident where the local community newsletter, Apsley Advocate refuses to publish any articles regarding WINTERBOURNE WIND because the employees have been threatened and abused. A vital informative method is lost. There are no local newspapers. Residents without adequate internet connections are not informed with information. These residents are in the majority are elderly. Sone flyers are inserted in the Apsley Advocate but they are paid advertisements and only giving information that suits their agenda.

15. A Wind turbine is planned to be constructed 6.5km from Walcha township. Residents in North Street received correspondence because they were identified as a neighbouring landowner/occupier of the proposed development. I question why didn’t all the town residents get this letter? There should not be any turbines built within a 10km radius of Walcha township.

• Walcha’s local Businesses will benefit greatly with a boost of extra money to spend in the community.
• The Community Benefit Fund of $750,000 per year for the life of the project will have a huge impact on investments in local groups, sporting clubs and organisations.
• Many landowners who will be hosting Wind Towers will benefit from improved infrastructure on their properties such as roads, gravel pits, level sites for buildings and new fencing.
• There will be increased business opportunities to provide accommodation, food and other services.
• Turbine Host farmers will have the opportunity to earn extra income and will have more money to spend on employment, investment in farm infrastructure and supporting more local businesses.
• It will have a very positive impact on the local population with new jobs during construction and project operation.
• The Walcha community is a role model to other communities in having a large scale renewable energy project in its district and playing it’s part in reducing greenhouse gasses and the impacts of climate change.
• Many of the transport businesses in Walcha will benefit from the upgrades of Thunderbolts Way from Uralla to Walcha as well as many of the local roads that will service the project.

• Walcha is leading the way with hosting a Wind Farm in its LGA and will help with reducing the impact of climate change with the production of renewable energy.
• Walcha’s economy will get a huge boost from the project with job and employment opportunities as well as the Community Benefit Fund being invested in local groups and organisations for the life of the project.
• Farmers will also have more disposable income to spend at local businesses and to help them manage drought and extreme weather events into the future.
• The community consultation process from Vestas has been great. They have been at the local show the past 3 years, had two open days the last 12 months with both being open for 2 days. They have also communicated with 11 double page Project Updates in the local Advocate paper over the last 18months to 2 years. All of this has given lots of information to the whole community about the project considering that at times there were COVID restrictions in place.
• The local Council will have many opportunities to generate extra income from the project with the sale of waste water, road and infrastructure upgrades as well the carting of many of the materials required for construction and maintenance.
• Many of the host landholders have children and with the payments they will receive will give them some financial security into the future and give them the opportunity to be able to pass on the family farms to the next generation with peace of mind.
• With on-farm quarries most likely being established during the construction period, this will also be another source of income for landholders and having materials on-farm to help with infrastructure upgrades. These quarries may also be available for council use after the construction period.
• Many of the local roads and some of the local highways will also get upgraded which will be of great benefit to the local transport industry as well as the whole community.
• With the transition away from coal fired power over the next few years, a project like this one will help fill the gap of electricity that will have been taken out of the grid. It is very important that this project goes ahead with some of the power stations having their output reduced during from 2022.

To whom it may concern,
I would like to outline my reasons for supporting the Winterbourne Wind project. I would firstly like to state that I am one of the hosting property owners. I feel the negotiations with the landholders involved in this project were handled quite well. Landholders were able to work as a consolidated group with legal assistance. This group approach meant that all concerns or queries raised by landholders were addressed in a timely manner by the developers. This has enabled the process to run relatively smoothly.

As a member of the Walcha community I feel the developers have communicated quite well with the community. This communication has included information leaflets in the free Aspley Advocate, open days at the bowling club, stalls at the local show as well as their office in the main Street. Anyone with questions or concerns have been encouraged to come along and get the correct information from the source.

It is my belief that a project of this size is beneficial to our small town. During the development stage there will be more labour needed and these staff will utilise local business for accommodation, hospitality, fuel, groceries, etc. After the initial development any permanent staff would most likely bring their families and this population growth will also be beneficial to Walcha’s small community.
The community funding being offered by the developers is an excellent opportunity for Walcha . Funding can benefit all aspects of our community from sporting clubs, community groups and schools to the installation or upgrading of much needed facilities.
Besides the community fund, the Walcha council would benefit from this project in regards to roads being improved to allow truck access as well as receiving income for the use of resources such as gravel and water.

As an host landholder we would personally benefit financially. I look forward to this as it would enable us to better manage for drought and unexpected disasters. However it would also be a benefit to our children through education as well as the opportunity for them to take over the property in the future with the security of the passive income generated by wind.

I am a supporter of renewable energy as over many years I have watched the degradation of areas where coal mining is undertaken and feel there is a great need to utilise better sources such as wind.

Submission Charles and Bronwyn Koebel.
Cotley
Walcha. N.S.W. 2354.Submission 2/11/24

As a landholder, beef producer and light aircraft owner/pilot in the Walcha Area I am writing to express my total objection to the unsatisfactory Ammendment Report on the Winterbourne wind project.

This report has not addressed the concerns for residents of Walcha and the general public that are concerned with Australia’s future energy needs.

Some of the responses to (or in) submissions that have not been addressed are as follows:
Why in Walcha is it acceptable to have turbines 6.5 km from the town and in other centers they are outside a 10km radius from the town?

The quality of the gravel and water supply is unknown and bringing in extra gravel and water has not been considered as far as truck movements are concerned.

Walcha is a very small community with critical businesses that support our agricultural needs. For example freight, rural and retail, rural contractors, timber logging, engineering, and earthmoving to name a few.
This workforce will be drawn into the construction jobs of Winterbourne Wind Farm due to the unrealistic wages that will be offered. This will last for 52 months.
This will result in local businesses being (to put it bluntly) gutted. The whole Walcha community will suffer significantly from this to our detriment for many years to come after construction is completed.

Also due to Walcha’s poor road infrastructure it will be impossible for normal business to be carried out due to restricted vehicle movement with OSOM vehicles on our roads that are physically too narrow and winding with many hills.

Some cattle going to slaughter will be held up by truck movements and will be exposed to stress that will effect eating quality. There are very heavy discounts for this as the carcasses are graded after slaughter and the animal can end up with ‘dark cutting’ meat. Discounts for this can be as high as $400 per head.
Another issue is cattle is being trucked to feed lots. If they are held up they will also suffer heavy heavy discounts due to shrinkage (losing weight in transit) as they are weighed on delivery for payment to the grower who is consigning them. The longer the cattle are on trucks, especially when not moving, can be an animal welfare issue due to stress, thirst or lack of feed.

Contrary to your responses, aerial firefighting will be very limited or nonexistent in the vicinity of the turbines.
Is there a quick response 24 hour standby unit to control a turbine fire?

The issues relating to aviation safety with regard to Visual Flight Rules for light aircraft have not been addressed at all.
The developer is not exercising a duty of care to an active aviation industry. For example aerial application of fertilizer (it cannot be done with helicopters), light aircraft landing on private airstrips and the Walcha aerodrome, medical retrievals and aircraft crossing the Great Dividing Range in low cloud. Due to the above I consider it is your duty of care to have warning lights on all turbines.

There is a wind monitoring tower in the Winterbourne Wind Farm area that is meant to have a NOTAM. There is not one and it is extremely hard to see that tower and it should have lights.

The project justification is to generate enough power for 375,000 homes.
This is a straightout blatant lie as it cannot generate a 24/7 power supply.

Due to the above I strongly object to the whole project proceeding on the grounds of the integrity of our power supply.

I cannot support a program that is ideologically delusional and is being built at a huge cost, is environmentally destructive and will not deliver base load power. Nowhere in the world has a country designed or built a renewable energy system such as is being built in Australia.
It just won’t work.

Charles and Bronwyn Koebel.
Cotley .
171 Cotley Road
Walcha. N.S.W. 2354.

Please see attached document for my objections

To whom it may concern,
My name is Peter Young, third generation Walcha Farmer, living here my whole life.
I strongly object to this project and the poorly constructed, very delayed amendment report.
My concerns that I initially raised in the first proposal all still stand and this amendment has not provided any further clarity to those concerns. I am concerned about the size of this project, the lack of social license, the impacts on the environment locally and the developer themselves.
This project is in the wrong spot, we do not have the infrastructure to sustain these plans without devastating impacts on our community. The suggested plans have it travelling through our main town as well as on the main road between Walcha and Armidale which would severely impact towns people and access to essential resources for our community. It is also right on the edge of national park and will likely impact bird and other native populations. The biodiversity impacts are too high and not accounted for in this project proposal.
There is a distinct lack of social licence in our community for good reason and this has not been paid attention to by the developers. This has furthered our lack of trust in the developer and the 'promises' they are offering to hosts or our community, which do not seem adequate to account for the significant impacts.
Further genuine conversation is needed.