I wish to object to the Proposed Jupiter Windfarm. My family own this lifestyle block on Mount Fairy Rd, which runs between the Bungendore-Tarago Rd and the Tarago-KingsHighway Rd. I plan to build a house there, as I am entitled to do, and I had hoped to enjoy a quiet lifestyle in the beautiful natural environment that surrounds my property, which I should be entitled to do!
Already, I have been adversely affected by the existing Capital Windfarm, which has been developed on one side of my property, and I know that I will be even more adversely affected if the Proposed Jupiter Windfarm goes ahead on the other side of my property. The loss of my lifestyle amenity, and that of landholders in this whole area is unacceptable, if we are to be surrounded by wind towers on both sides! Not only have we lost our rural views and lifestyle amenity, but our properties have been seriously devalued, because nobody wants to buy a property near a windfarm, and so we can't even sell up and move away!
The natural landscape in this area has been destroyed enough without adding another 80 plus turbines of 173 metres in height to an area that is rural-residential, and where so many landholders will be affected. I chose my property for the peace and quiet of country living, but when the wind blows towards the wind towers, it sounds like I live next to a busy highway. There has been a dramatic increase in traffic on our previously quiet country roads, since the Capital Windfarm was developed. The Proposed Jupiter Windfarm would exacerbate that. Mount Fairy Rd is already unsuitable and unsafe for the amount of traffic it currently carries. It would need to be seriously upgraded, as in widened and completely sealed, for any increase in traffic that would occur with the Proposed Jupiter Windfarm! Who is going to pay for that? Local QPRC? NSW Government?
My property is located in a bushfire prone area, as we have seen recently with fires on Boro Rd (where the Proposed Jupiter Windfarm is to be located) and Mount Fairy Rd. The latter started at the Capital Windfarm, and I am very hopeful that a coronial inquiry will investigate the role that Capital Windfarm played with regard to this fire. It was absolutely terrifying and many of my neighbours lost property and livestock. It is well known that windfarms increase the risk of bushfires, and also that the windtowers make fighting a blaze more difficult for the RFS, because the air support is unable to access these areas. If this summer is anything to go by, and hotter summers predicted to become the norm, we cannot afford to increase the risk of bushfires with another windfarm in this area that is already bushfire prone.
Please, do not approve the Proposed Jupiter Windfarm, there are other locations where fewer landholders would be affected, and there are other types of renewable energies that have a lesser affect on neighbouring landholders.

I object to the construction of the Jupiter Wind Farm project.

Reasons:

1) the northern cluster of towers proposed for the south side of the Kings Highway will be directly upon the wildlife corridor that runs beyond Tarago towards Mount Palerang and further toward the coast. That whole section of land is heavily wooded and provides safe passage for animals and birds. The area proposed for the towers is cleared, but represents the only cleared area in the whole wildlife corridor. It can be revegetated. However, if the towers are built, restoration will never be possible, and the corridor will be broken. Not only will animals not be able to travel the corridor, they will be repelled by the continuous noise and the activity.

2) my house is only 1,050 metres from seven towers, and not that much further from a further six towers. We are Zoned RED, meaning severely impacted, both noise and visually. We would also suffer from cement and sand dust (silica?) during the construction process. The EIS provides mock-ups of visual blockouts, but in reality no amount of tree planting will screen out the towers nor absorb and deflect noise.

3) the value of land will likely be impacted

4) the Kings Highway and Goulburn <> Braidwood road will be more dangerous than usual during the proposed construction process, given the additional heavy traffic

While I support renewable energy I do not support the positioning of wind farms in areas that are rural/residential because of the impact the proximity of the turbines will have on the local residents. I reject the proposal for the Jupiter wind farm and suggest a more suitable location be found.

I object to the Jupiter Windfarm being built in an area where people reside and may be affected in any way by the turbines.

This submission is in the form of an objection to the Jupiter Wind farm project.
As property owner of Lot 9, DP 754867, Lower Boro, EPYC (the proponent) and the Department of Planning have failed to supply any information or advisement regarding the proposed Sub-station to be located at the corner of our property entry.
No information has been supplied about Noise Abatement, permanent lighting to the sub-station, roads and entries, fencing and drainage of the amenities, or even fire protocols regarding the exit from our property.
We would like detailed information about how this is going to be impacted upon us.

I wish to lodge an objection to the proposed Jupiter Wind Farm Project based on the following:
* Landscape Deterioration - both the landholders in direct line of sight of the wind towers, and the huge number of landholders who own property in the beautiful areas nearby, have experienced a huge loss of amenity and lifestyle since the establishment of the Capital wind farm. Joe Hockey may have described these wind towers as an 'eyesore' upon driving from Goulburn to Canberra via Lake George, but to really see the impact you need to take a drive from Bungendore to Tarago where you will see the true enormity of the impact on the landscape these wind towers pose, and that these affected landholders must experience on a daily basis. Consequently for landholders that will be impacted by the proposed Jupiter wind farm, and particularly for those landholders who will be impacted by both wind farms, there is an unacceptable change to the visual rural landscape they are a part of.
* Ambient Noise - for landholders located between the source of the wind and the wind towers themselves, at the existing Capital wind farm, the peace and quiet of the country environment that they purchased, has been changed to a background noise of a busy highway (a hum, or a drone). Those affected change according to the wind direction. This has seriously affected the quality of lifestyle for these landholders, and the proposed Jupiter wind farm will mean that many more landholders will be unacceptably affected by noise.
* Increased Road Traffic - as a resident of Mount Fairy Rd I have noticed an increase in traffic associated with the Capital wind farm on the Bungendore-Tarago Rd. Mount Fairy Rd is one of the links between the Bungendore-Goulburn Rd (where the Capital wind farm is located) and the Goulburn-Braidwood Rd (where the proposed Jupiter wind farm is to be located). I realise that the Capital Wind Farm and the Proposed Jupiter Wind Farm would be two separate entities. However I believe there will be a huge impact on the local road network, on what were quiet country roads, associated with the Proposed Jupiter Wind Farm, and whether it be for reasons of accommodation of workers, or the general business of establishing and maintaining the Proposed Jupiter Wind Farm, we will see a significant increase in traffic on roads that are already over-stressed. At present Mount Fairy Rd is only partially sealed at each end near the junction with the Bungendore-Tarago Rd and near the junction with the Braidwood-Goulburn Rd. The gravel section is already dangerous for the amount of traffic that uses it, too narrow in places for 2-way traffic to pass each other easily, and with several sharp bends and blind spots. After rain, or even after prolonged dry spells, this gravel road is pitted with pot holes, ruts, corrugations and patches of bull dust. I believe the proposed Jupiter wind farm will generate an increase in vehicle movements on both the Bungendore-Tarago Rd and the Braidwood-Goulburn Rd, as well as on Mount Fairy Rd, and that is unacceptable to local landholders and residents for the increase in road degradation and the danger that they will be exposed to.
* Threat to Bird Life - there needs to be an independent study into the number of birds killed or injured at the existing Capital wind farm, by the turbine blades as well as the high voltage wires, because there is evidence that wind farms are posing a constant threat to bird life, and yet this information needs to be quantified and available to the public.
* Increased Fire Risk - as seen very recently with the Currandooley bushfire of the 17th January, which burnt out nearly 4000 Ha, and from which my property was badly affected, wind farms pose an unacceptable fire risk to landholders near and far. The official story at present is that a crow landed on the high voltage wires, was electrocuted and burst into flames, causing the recent fire. There are many other opinions circulating as to the cause of the fire, including sparks coming from the wind tower engines themselves, or wind tower maintenance staff working in the vicinity of the wind farm infrastructure. Hopefully this will be the subject of a Coronial Inquiry, so perhaps we need to wait and see, what, or who, was responsible. However, what is clear, is that the wind towers, their associated infrastructure and the activities associated with the running and maintenance of the wind towers pose an unacceptable risk in an environment that is uncontrolled to minimise that risk, and an environment that is shared with a high number of independent landholders, that mostly receive no benefit from sharing that unacceptable risk! On reporting the recent Currandooley fire, the Goulburn Post said there had been another fire several weeks earlier at the Capital wind farm near Woodlawn, caused in a similar fashion, and that the fire burned about 20 hectares before being extinguished. It was reported that there was also another bird killed on the 21st January, in the same place and same way as the bird which apparently started the fire on the 17th January. This electrocuted bird fell on the already burned ground and no fire ensued. These events provide reasonable grounds to believe that there may be systemic and ongoing hazards associated with the existing Capital wind farm, and that the proposed Jupiter wind farm will only amplify such an unacceptable fire risk.
* Community Division - with a project such as the existing Capital wind farm or the proposed Jupiter wind farm there are some winners and many losers. Clearly there are some winners amongst the landholders that gain financially from contracts they have with wind farms, for hosting wind towers on their land, however they are sworn to secrecy over the amounts they are paid annually, or the hush money they were paid to stop voicing their opposition to wind farms. And it has to be said it appears that the wind farm companies themselves are winners, because they are paid huge government subsides annually for building and maintaining the wind farms. However, the vast majority of landholders affected by the wind farms are losers. Not only are there the reasons I have already outlined, but the fact that there are winners and losers with regard to this issue, this is dividing communities previously united by their common enjoyment of a quiet country lifestyle that they paid to enjoy by purchasing property in this area. This dividing of communities, pitting neighbour against neighbour is a travesty - it is un-Australian and unacceptable!
* Reduction in Land Values - many Australians are in favour of renewable energies, including myself, but many of those same Australians have a 'not in my backyard' outlook towards the infrastructure involved in generating renewable energy. When I leave and return from my property, I have to look at a very changed landscape since the establishment of the Capital wind farm. The wind towers are clearly visible from my driveway stretching along the length of the horizon. They are quite close to the Bungendore end of Mount Fairy Rd, and when driving home from Bungendore they are huge, densely populating the vista with many, many towers visible and clumped together, dominating the previously rural landscape. The proposed Jupiter wind farm is to be established at the other end of Mount Fairy Rd, along the other side of the Braidwood-Goulburn Rd. So for me, and the large number of landholders who have property in the vicinity of Bungendore-Tarago, we will be surrounded by wind towers on both sides. All of the associated problems we experience with one existing wind farm will be amplified by the establishment of another wind farm, such as loss of the beautiful and peaceful country environment that attracted us to the region. Inevitably we landholders feel that our properties have significantly dropped in value due to the reluctance of prospective purchasers to buy in an area whose natural beauty is, or will be, impacted by being surrounded by wind towers! Also it should be said that solar farms are silent, do not soar 173 metres into a community's vista, and can be screened with perimeter plantings. This type of renewable energy will have far less impact on the residents nearby!

I wish to lodge my objection to the proposed Jupiter wind farm for the following reasons:
* Location - the proposed Jupiter wind farm will impact an area of the Southern Highlands of NSW that is largely rural residential. As such a huge number of landholders will be affected. Officials from the Department of Planning stated at a public meeting on the 7th December that, of all the wind farms under consideration in NSW, Jupiter is at the highest level in terms of the number of residents that would be impacted. According to the EIS there are 140 dwellings within 3kms, and there are 250 dwellings within 5kms, as well as hundreds more not far beyond that distance. In addition there are many more landholders within those distances that have building permits but have yet to build. With so many landholders impacted by the proposed Jupiter wind farm, and the overwhelming majority of them opposed to the development, it is outrageous that this location would be approved!
* Lack of Consultation - when this project was first proposed there was NO community consultation. This was also the case in the period prior to the approval of the existing Capital wind farm. It is only when the Jupiter proposal was first rejected, after huge community opposition, that EPYC scrambled to set up some token efforts at community consultation, in order to have the decision against them reversed by being seen to do the right thing. Their methods until that time were mostly aimed at tying up the farmers who would host the turbines, offer them attractive remuneration, and swear them to confidentiality agreements. So after that a few token public meetings were held to inform the community. Having attended these meetings, I know that the overwhelming majority of landholders present were vehemently opposed to the proposal of Jupiter wind farm. None of the issues raised by landholders were addressed by the proponents, and the couple of politicians present promised to take the views of the landholders to the relevant government department for consideration. This lack of community consultation, with no regard to the opinions of the huge number of landholders that would be affected, is just wrong!
* Visibility - the turbines proposed for this wind farm will be 173 metres high ie 40 metres higher than the Sydney Harbour Bridge! Turbines that high are visible for 40 kms! The government has recently approved turbines of 200 metres. If the Jupiter wind farm is approved, it would be possible for them to request a modification to have these even larger turbines. The EIS states that many residents will suffer a visual impact - no kidding - but they suggest that residents can plant a few trees to overcome that. This suggestion totally ignores the fact that these landholders have the right to enjoy their existing view rather than have it destroyed by the addition of massive wind towers!
* Traffic Hazards- during the construction phase there will be a huge increase in traffic associated with a wind farm on our narrow local roads, that were not built to cope with such loads. And after that there will be additional traffic associated with the operation and maintenance of a wind farm. I am yet to see a significant improvement in the roads between Bungendore and Tarago despite the additional traffic that has been generated by the Capital wind farm, so the increase in traffic hazards that would be generated by another wind farm in the area is unacceptable.
* Fire Risks - this locality has recently experienced two major bush fires - one started near the site of the proposed Jupiter wind farm, which burnt out 500 Ha, the other started on the Capital wind farm and burnt out nearly 4000 Ha. It ravaged many properties, including my own. On this property I lost more than 10 Ha of a mature, wide spaced, high pruned pine plantation, which I have been forced to cut down as it is in danger of falling down due to the fire. I personally planted, cared for and pruned this forest over the last 23 years - the work of a lifetime in ruins! In addition I have lost about 4 kms of fencing, 12 Ha of grazing land and 73 sheep, which were cruelly burnt in the fire. It will take years and years to recover. It is a fact that the area covered by the proposed Jupiter wind farm is already an area of high bushfire risk. As our climate changes we have been told to expect higher temperatures, more days of catastrophic fire danger, more electrical storm activity, and in fact more catastrophic events such as bushfires. This summer is a good indication of what to expect with the hottest summer on record - again! It is also a fact that wind farms increase the bushfire risk in their location. Occasionally wind turbines spark or catch fire, the main causes being lightning strikes, electrical malfunction, and mechanical failure. Once ignited, the chances of fighting a turbine fire are slim due to their height and the remote locations that they are often in. While large fire events may be reported by news organizations, smaller incidents usually go unpublished, and official reports about them are not publicly available. Added to that is the risk of fires in the associated electrical infrastructure, as well as the ongoing running and maintenance of the wind farm, and the potential risk of human error. The recent Currandooley bushfire, of which I am a victim, is said to have been caused by a crow landing on the high voltage wires. If it really was something as innocuous as that, then an additional wind farm in the form of the proposed Jupiter wind farm will be a recipe for another disaster!
* Lack of Responsibility - Industry literature and local experience clearly demonstrates that fire associated with wind farms is a significant risk, which cannot be fully mitigated. The CFA Emergency Management Guidelines states 'wind turbines manufactured today incorporate the highest quality and safety standards. Despite this, CFA recognises that the risk of fire always exists when electronics and flammable oils and hydraulic fluids exist in the same enclosure. The risk of fire can be associated with malfunctioning turbine bearings, inadequate crankcases lubrication, cable damage during rotation, electrical shorting or arcing occurring in transmission and distribution facilities.' It also states in regard to Fuel/Vegetation Management: An important part of BMPs responsibility is fuel/vegetation management. Partnerships between wind farm operators and CFA are also important to ensure that wind farm operators include the appropriate measures within their plans. During the Fire Danger Period (FDP):
4.1 Grass should be no more than 100mm in height and leaf litter no more than 10mm deep for a distance of thirty (30) metres around constructed buildings and viewing platforms;
4.2 A fuel reduced area of four (4) metres width should be maintained around the perimeter of electricity compounds and substation type facilities;
4.3 There should be no long grass or deep leaf litter in areas where plant and heavy equipment will be working; and
4.4 All plant and heavy equipment should carry at least one 9 Litre Water Stored Pressure fire extinguisher with a minimum rating of 3A.

I am not confident that the existing Capital wind farm, where the Currandooley fire started, had in place responsible fuel and vegetation management practices. It is interesting to note that the Capital wind farm has only recently taken action well after the horse has bolted (3 weeks after the fire) and they have only just graded fire breaks around their infrastructure and created gravel pads around their turbines! A blatant disregard for the additional fire risks a wind farm places on a community, and the safety of that community shows a serious lack of responsibility! The proposed Jupiter wind farm is too great a risk to the safety of the surrounding landholders, including myself and my family.

I am writing as a resident directly affected by the Jupiter Wind Farm Proposal to object to the proposed wind farm.

I do not believe that a proposal of this type is in anyway acceptable in what is a rural residential area. It will fundamentally affect our quiet enjoyment of our property, a place we chose to come and live in specifically for its natural beauty and rural lifestyle.

I note that there is considerable community concern about the proposal and as a matter of democratic and considered planning processes; I strongly believe that the degree of community concern should be a factor in rejecting the proposal.

My concerns include, but are not limited to:
- The visual impact of the very high industrial structures;
- Noise impact;
- TV and telecommunications interference (in particular I note we already have very limited/patchy mobile reception);
- The impact on the biodiversity (i.e. flora and fauna) in this area;
- The potential to increase the bushfire threat to our property and/or the capacity to protect our property from bushfires; and
- Property devaluation.

No evidence has been put forward to date that satisfactorily addresses these concerns.

I therefore object to the proposal until such time as your department has provided independent evidence and the Government has provided a legally binding guarantee, in relation to our property, that the wind farm will not:
- blight the view from our particular property or surrounding areas;
- in any way, such as noise, harm our sleep or health or harm our amenity on this property;
- in any other ways harm our lifestyle, including reception for TV, radio, mobile phone and internet;
- negatively impact on the flora and fauna in this area;
- increase the bushfire threat to our property or increase the difficulty of protecting our property from bushfires; or
- devalue our property.

Lastly, I wish to note that I am not against wind farms per se or other forms of renewable energy production. I acknowledge that it is important that we transition to a low carbon energy future. However in doing so, it cannot and need not be at the expense of the community.

I object to the Jupiter Wind Farm proposal as I believe that they have not appropriately addressed the detrimental effects that it will have on the migrating bird life that relies on Lake Bathurst.
Lake Bathurst is a shallow lake located approximately 3 kilometres from the town of Tarago new South Wales. It is within a couple of kilometres from the proposed Jupiter Wind Turbine project site.
The lake is an important site for Australasian shovellers. A 19 square kilometres (7.3 sq mi) area of the lake and its immediate surrounds has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because it regularly supports significant numbers of near threatened blue-billed ducks and over 1% of the world population of Australasian shovellers. It is an important drought refuge, sometimes supporting over 1% of the world populations of freckled ducks, black swans, chestnut teals and sharp-tailed sandpipers.
The migrating birds that use Lake Bathurst and its surrounds have set migratory paths that are not something that can just be changed when massive wind turbines are put in their path. It is highly likely that there would be massive loss of bird life, including near threatened species, due to blade strike if these turbines go ahead.

I'm objecting to this proposal as a person who has lived and been a regular visitor to this beautiful area for 30 years. In particular, my Father is the owner of "Coriole", property J194 which is one of the most affected properties.

This proposal should NOT proceed on the following grounds:-

There has been a complete lack of adequate consultation by the developer. The exact details of the proposal are vague and sketchy and the consultation process has not been fair and transparent.

The impact on neighouring properties, particularly property J194, is going to be significant. The proposed set-backs are totally insufficient with one tower a mere 450m from this property and in full view from the living room. There are serious concerns not only about the destruction of the views and loss of enjoyment of the property as a result of this hideous proposal, but also the impact that the additional noise, traffic and pollution will have on the property and to the unique flora and fauna of the region in general.

The proposal will also divide the community, not only physically due to the geographical location of the towers running through the region, but socially too, as one member of the community stands to benefit greatly by having the towers located on their property while others suffer greatly in terms of the de-valuing of their properties and general loss of amenity which was the very reason the property was purchased in the first place.

This proposal should simply not be allowed to go ahead.