RYE FARM WIIND FARM PROJECT APPLICATION
Number: 10_0223
SUBMISSION: 04/07/2014
DR. ALAN C WATTS OAM
DR. COLLEEN J WATTS OAM

We wish to register an OBJECTION to the Rye Farm Wind Farm Project Application and urge the Department of Planning to NOT recommend its approval.

INTRODUCTION

The continued promulgation of wind farms is most definitely not directed towards the public interest on many levels including (but not limited to) issues of health (adverse health effects, vibration and flicker), economics, energy supply intermittency, visual pollution, wildlife and environmental adverse effects, community disharmony and disruption, damage to roads and local infrastructure and tenuous arrangements for decommissioning. With the added impost of subsidies (by way of the cost of the RECs being passed to the electricity consumer, and other subsidies) the construction and operation of industrial wind turbines has become a travesty.

There can be no place for IWTs in a modern, progressive economy. Despite the wind industry's cries to the contrary in the near future IWTs will become obsolete technology and rural residents will be left with landscapes littered with derelict relics with which they will have to contend. It is time that our governments looked hard at the realities of this situation and took appropriate steps to ensure that this does not happen.

We draw your attention to the NSW Draft Wind Farm Guidelines, now several years old and yet to be approved. Although the Rye Park Wind Farm is being assessed under Part 3A it is still advisable to consider the Guidelines when assessing this project. What is no longer tolerable for new projects does not make poor assessments under Part 3A suddenly acceptable. There is a moral responsibility for the government to make responsible judgements of proposals using the latest knowledge. The argument that there can be no retrospectivity is also not valid. There are numerous cases where government decisions have been made retrospectively.

HEALTH IMPACTS

Nationally and internationally there is an accumulating body of evidence that IWTs are producing adverse health effects for many residents living within the orbit of wind farms. The issues revolve around the effects of audible noise, vibration and flicker, and the effects of low frequency noise and infrasound (LFNI). The adverse health effects (AHE) caused by audible noise from a variety of sources and environments have been well studied over many years, and have been addressed to some extent by the World Health Organisation and other national and international bodies. The AHEs caused by LFNI have been less well studied but irrefutable evidence is coming to light about the sequelae of continuous exposure to IWTs particularly in a section of the exposed population.

Rather than reiterate the specific reports and journal publications on this matter I refer you to the excellent summary of current knowledge outlined by the Waubra Foundation:

http://waubrafoundation.org.au/health/current-knowledge/#menu0-el1

and the National Wind Watch website:

https://www.wind-watch.org/ww-noise-health.php

These are but two of a growing number of websites and resources which meticulously record and make easily available the rapidly expanding knowledge base about the problems of noise and health, particularly as they relate to IWTs.

SET BACK DISTANCES

As noted, Rye Park Wind Farm is being assessed as a Part 3A project. Nevertheless the setback distances recommended in the NSW Draft Wind Farm Guidelines should be considered. The population numbers within distances that will potentially cause AHEs is extremely concerning.

For instance, the village of Rye Park is located in a valley below the IWTs and many of them will be seen from the village. The village has a population of 237 and a considerable number of these people will live less than 2 kms from IWTs. The main street itself will be 2.6 km from the nearest turbine.

This would be unacceptable in terms of the Draft Guidelines. As we understand it the Guidelines specify that IWTs cannot be less than 2 kms from a non-host unless an acceptable "gateway" process has been negotiated. Moreover a community should not be closer than 5 kms.

According to the 2011 Census the following populations will be within 10 kms from this wind farm : Boorowa - 1211 people, Yass - 6329 people, Dalton - 109 people, Rye Park - 237 people.

There have been several studies that show that significant LFNI has been found out to 11 kms. This was documented as long ago as 1985 by NASA, and there has been corroborating evidence since.

The NSW Department of Planning (and other Departments with relevant responsibilies, eg. Department of Health) has a duty of care towards any person potentially affected by IWTs. The inadequate recommendations by such bodies as the NHMRC and AMA do NOT give permission to our Government bodies to neglect the accumulating evidence of the AHEs due to wind turbines.

We therefore urge the Department of Planning to look carefully at the location of the IWTs contained within the Rye Park Wind Farm, to acknowledge that there is the potential of great harm to a considerable number of people and to make the responsible decision to NOT RECOMMEND THAT THIS PROJECT IS APPROVED.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Alan C. Watts OAM

Dr. Colleen J Watts OAM

Boorowa Council Submission

see FIle attachment 1

I retain the right to submit further information. File attached

Please find submission document attached in PDF format

Please find attached submission

We would like to make a submission against the proposed Rye Park wind farm. There are many reasons why we are against this proposal.
We currently reside at 2241 Rye Park Road Dalton and are building our dream home. We both work in Canberra but chose to live and commute in the area as we like our quiet rural life.
We first heard about the proposed wind farm when a community group left a flyer at our gate. Even though the wind turbines will be quite prominent from our house we have had no consultation from Epuron and have noted on the map they have provided as part of their submission that a considerable amount of dwellings in the area are not marked on the map. We find the lack of community consultation appalling.
Part of the appeal of living in a rural setting is the community spirit, neighbours helping out neighbours and looking after each other. This proposal has caused significant community divide. Residents that will have turbines placed on their land have been offered compensation and others like ourselves will have to look at these turbines and listen to these turbines with no compensation this has caused bitterness amongst neighbours.
A decrease in property values associated with the proximity of the turbines is a likely problem, just the mention of a wind turbine proposal makes it difficult to sell if we don't like the idea of living next to them.
Renee is a landscape / nature photographer another reason we have chosen to live in the area. Most of the landscape photos she has taken are right on our doorstep and the wind turbines will leave a visual blight on our landscape. Many bird species including the vulnerable Superb Parrot reside in this area. The Superb Parrot is vulnerable due to habitat loss and we are concerned about the impact an industrial development of this size will have on their numbers. Another threatened species we have seen residing in the area is the Rosenbergs Goanna, we are also concerned about the impact of the wind farm on the Goanna.
We are concerned about the construction process of this wind farm. Onsite concrete mixing plants and the run off polluting our waterways and farm dams, this is concerning due to the impact it may have on native fish and frogs.
Thank you for considering our objection,
Allan Fowler and Renée Andrews

Please refer to the attachment.

Please refer to the attachment.

Please see attached for our submission.