To whom it may concern,

I object to the Hills of Gold Wind Farm proposal in Nundle.

The proposal impacts the daily lives of residents within the Nundle community already as they are fighting to preserve their beautiful town. People and their livelihoods are not being considered. The community for many years now have been under significant stress sharing their objection to this proposal and their voices need to be heard.

People do not live in a country town renowned for it's peaceful vista to look out over their properties to see a large wind farm line the horizon. The developers have presented images representing what the proposal will look like. I have been responsible for marketing in businesses and it is evident the angles and perspective being used to represent their proposal to hide the true impact. I challenge anyone to take photos of the proposed area and make real life - to scale- representations. We live in a world where information is swayed by associations and is not always accurate. It is important that decisions are made based upon accurate, reliable information that represents integrity and not financial motivations.

The proposal will not only impact the lives of the people but significantly impact the environment. Wind farms cause regular death of birds and also deters wildlife on the ground. We acknowledge the Aboriginal Custodians of the land and yet we build monstrosities that show our lack of respect for the land. When you review the sheer size, amount and positioning of the wind farm it is easy to see that this is not the town for this development. The motivation for this development is not coming from doing the right thing by the community, the environment nor the people who come to enjoy this unique little country town. This is the wrong town for a wind farm and I encourage yourselves to please put the people first. Let the voices of the town be heard.

The proposal will have a significant impact on tourism as people go to Nundle to be in the peace and quiet of the country and to discover the beauty and history of this land. They come here to wander the streets, sit and watch the world go by whilst looking at the land and to fossick. These attributes of this beautiful town need to be protected. The proposed wind farm will destroy these features, leaving a line of large white wind turbines lining the land. The wind farm will cause permanent damage to so many people that can not be undone. The mental health of this town is being impacted by a financial agenda.

The Hills of Gold Wind Farm will impact the people of Nundle daily, the number of tourists, the environment and change the town with negative lasting effects.

Save Nundle from the Wind Farm Proposal and show the people that they matter. That the everyday Aussie counts. These Aussie values and actions need to make a return in our Country. Why is it that one person's agenda can be allowed to destroy the lives of so many? Of a happy town that was cohesive and happy and now struggling daily due to this proposal.

I strongly object to this proposal. People before money. Your decision can show this country that Aussie's count. It will show developers that we all care about our countryside and that money is not more important than people and our land.

On behalf of my grandchildren I object to this proposal: 

Wind Farms should be for Australians a source of pride, reflecting our collective consciousness as a Nation. They should demonstrate that we made the necessary changes to our own ways and behaviours, that will help to heal the Earth of the Future. The Earth that our children, grandchildren and all of their descendants will be entirely dependent on. We only have this one “small blue dot”. 

But, sadly, this Wind Farm, will rather become a monument to our unending selfishness and greed. We would rather destroy the habitat of Numerous endangered and threatened species, than having to be inconvenienced ourselves, by locating these renewables sources of Energy, where they belong, in the industrialised footprint, that we have already created. If we keep approving Projects like this one, then One day there will not be any of the original environment left. I am sure though that we will somehow convince ourselves that it was a good idea. 

This Wind Farm, on top of a Mountain Range, given its height at ~1600 Metres, will be visible across much of the North East of NSW. It will, rather than be a source of enduring community pride, be a constant reminder of our own selfishness and greed. In time it will most likely become Australia’s highest man made monument to the many extinct species of plants and Animals, that we wilfully destroyed, to try to somehow ease our own guilty consciences. 

May our descendants, and perhaps the fragile teetering Earth, one day forgive us our Folly.

I object to the hills of gold wind farm because I am very concerned about the tragic impact to the village of Hanging Rock and my property in particular. I don’t know how wide are the components they will have to bring through here. Nobody have ever spoken to us and a lot of older people don’t have computers. My house is only 5 meters from the edge of the tar on the road. Will they need to knock my house down?? My property is the closest to the road of all the properties on the transport route. I’d like some answers as you might understand things like this can cause people a lot of worry.

I have been suffering from the sleep apnea for over a decade. The traffic noise needs to be properly addressed when it comes to coming through the village. This is an old area and houses are built close to roads as people used to travel on horses. My house was once a shop and a post office, that’s why it is the closest.

I don’t like the community division this project has created. Friends don’t talk to friends anymore.

We don’t know who owns the project as the ownership keeps changing. I don’t appreciate seeing overseas companies having ownership of Australian assets.

I feel it’s wrong that we can’t access the Ben Halls reserve because it’s locked up for scientific purposes, but the wind farm people can go and disturb the area, and possibly introduce weeds and pests to the reserve. I always wanted to take my kids to the reserve, but we respect that it’s something that needs to be left alone and untouched.

I object to this project due to the damage this project infrastructure will do to the land and environment. I have recently visited Nundle, which I thought the scenery was beautiful and spectacular and I hope it stays that way. Thank you and please except my submission.

RE: HILLS OF GOLD WIND FARM APPLICATION NO. SSD 9679
SUBMISSION FOR OBJECTION

Background
As a permanent resident of Hanging Rock for over 10 years and a committed regular visitor, often for extended stays and frequently with other visitors, for almost 35years prior to becoming a resident I am here purely for Love of Country therefore I make this submission from the heart.
I have travelled overseas (took 15 months to get from Sydney to London) and seen much of Australia, mostly by land, I have seen beautiful places but Hanging Rock is my “soul” country.
I have no vested financial or political interests in my opposition to this project.
My consciousness of environmental issues was raised 45years ago by an amazing woman whose property at Hanging Rock I stayed on until 4 years ago. Dr Corona Adams, now deceased, quit her medical practice around 50 years ago to live on the land full time and to do this with the lightest of footprints, she milked a few goats, ran an organic property, lived off the grid (no generator or solar), and was the founding president of the Henry Doubleday Society (they promoted organic and comfrey).
I have First Nation heritage, Wiradjuri language, and although strictly speaking this is not my country I do feel a love and connection to this landscape as though it is in my blood to care for and protect this country.

Destructive Impact on Country
Hanging Rock is fringe country, not as rural as the Nundle area and not fully in the bush but that bush is “just there”, here you can see wilderness, you can feel wilderness, you can smell wilderness, all with relative ease, don’t need a 4wheel drive vehicle or to trek for hours. Hanging Rock offers us a wonderful sense of awe. I get that sense of awe from the views, the road into Nundle, Nundle itself and its surrounds, the drive up to Hanging Rock provide those views. A visit to Sheba Dam or to Arc de Circ Trout Farm, a walk or just driving further on are for me awesome experiences. Well publicised research acknowledges the significance to our wellbeing, physically and emotionally, contact with wilderness is. Wind turbines, being technology not Nature, will visually and audially detract from (possibly invalidate) the awe/joy/pleasure Hanging Rock gives to me and I believe many others, now and in the future.
My frequent visits to Hanging Rock over a 35year period sustained me for a busy, even hectic, and stressful lifestyle in Sydney. My holidays spent in a slab hut, off the grid, rejuvenated me. Hanging Rock is a special place.
My biologic daughter, grandchildren and non-biologic daughter (foster care placement from the age of 2years, also First Nation, Kunjun language from Kowanyama) are in Sydney for employment but they too experience the awe and rejuvenation from Hanging Rock and want the essence of this place to be preserved for themselves, their children and grandchildren. As do many of the visitors I have introduced to Hanging Rock such as 15year old young First Nations woman who lives in busy Newton in inner west Sydney, first came with me to Hanging Rock as a baby and now comes almost every school holiday. She is rejuvenated by Hanging Rock, by nature, by the bush. She is concerned about the turbines.
The magic of this place needs to be respected, protected not vandalised by the construction and presence of turbines.

Renewable Energy Needs to be Environmentally Sensitive
I have seen a lot Australia from the road, I guess there must be hundreds of thousand, maybe millions of hectares of land virtually denuded, minimal native flora or fauna left, overrun by invasive exotic weeds surely such landscapes are where Turbines (or Solar installations) could be placed. Minimal environmental impact on construction and the, what I view as a bribe, community payment of $2,500 per turbine be used to rehabilitate the environment. True Green energy. Could be a win-win situation.
We need our energy to be renewable but surely if lessons from the past show us anything it is to respect and move cautiously with our environment. We also need our trees and all that live with and around them. This is even more so since the bush fires and drought conditions last summer, Australia lost more that 20% of its forests during the fires last summer. We cannot lose more trees. All options need to be considered in depth before any tree is removed.
Hundreds of trees are planned to be removed for the turbine sites, lines and access roads at Hanging Rock. The proposed turbine project amounts to vandalism of Beautiful, Much Loved Country.

Fire Risk
The turbines height will restrict the use of air support during any fires. From the photo montage a number of turbines are to be placed on the boundary of Ben Halls Gap National Park (a closed reserve). Last summer there was an “Out of Control” fire in the National Park, with limited access use of air support was essential.
Should another fire break out if there are turbines restricting air support to fight the fire not only could the Hanging Rock village be destroyed but also thousands of hectares of bushland. In a situation such as this there would be grounds for litigation (perhaps even your department would share liability).

Community Disharmony
The proposed turbine project has caused a great deal of conflict and disharmony in our community. The proposed project has split the community into three groups, those against, those for and those on the fence or uncommitted or afraid of conflict. It has had a negative impact on our day to day life, disrupted various community organisations and activities, broken down many relationship, shattered our cohesiveness. We (Nundle and Hanging Rock) are a small community of around 300 people. There is only 1 general store, 1 garage, 1 pub. We are vulnerable to floods and fire. We rely on first Responders for medical emergencies (takes more than an hour for an ambulance to get here). WE NEED TO GET ALONG. WE NEED TO CO-OPERATE AND SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER IN AN EMERGENCY.

Damage to the Fauna and Flora
Rare trees and animals will be negatively impacted by the construction and placement of the turbines. With the climate crisis we are facing, the recent bush fires and risk of fire in the future all human activities need to be super sensitive to our environment. We can not afford to put any of our native fauna and flora at risk. I am particularly concerned about the raptors, with turbines on a ridge over- looking low lying land birds of prey face unavoidable slaughter, they at risk with turbines anywhere but way more because of the type of landscape the project has chosen.


Negative Impact of Light Pollution on Night Sky
The light from the turbines will cause a reduction in the visibility of the stars at night. Tragic.

Water Risk
I am no hydrologist but some of the old fellows (born and bred here, walked the country, “know every rock and blade of grass” type fellows) around here say that the concrete base of the turbines will affect the spring water. The hills here are full of springs, Sheba Dam is fed by two springs, the local Trout farm is fed by spring water. Any reduction, negative impact of spring water is a risk not worth taking as our climate warms. Water from here feeds the Peel River, last summer the river suffered during the drought. We cannot afford to risk the water.

The Negative Power of Money
All this has come about because of one property owner thought it a good idea. Most of the turbines would be on his property and therefore he would receive significant financial benefits. He and the group he has brought in to put forward this proposal have exaggerated benefits to the community and used the power of money to “market” the project. Simplistic slogans and financial rewards have exploited the fears of climate change of a section of the community. Like colonisers this group has come to the community with their money, so much money and are here to exploit and make lots of money but make out that is for our benefit. They have corrupted the “Hills of Gold” title, a name that depicted the history (gold mining in the 1860s) and the view of the hills at sunset when they can look golden.
Profit as the only motive is how we have gotten into the environmental crisis we are facing. We need to take the environment into consideration. For the current residents and visitors and for the people of the future the place needs to be preserved. Our society needs places like this, for wellbeing, for clean air.

Please find attached the Hills of Gold Preservation Inc. objection to Hills of Gold Wind Farm Application No. SSD9679.

1. HOGPI Objection Cover letter
2. HOGPI Submission in Objection to HOGWF No. SSD9679
3. Appendix 1.0 - Soil (Report by Dr Robert Banks)
4. Appendix 3.0 - Environment (Comments by ecologist Phil Spark)
5. Appendix 13.3 - Correspondence
6. Appendix - HOGPI Newsletters