Australia has dragged its heels on adopting clean, modern, renewable energy for too long. Our power system remains dominated by dirty coal-fuelled power stations which emit enormous quantities of carbon dioxide, in addition to other pollution from the mining and waste disposal processes. It is the carbon dioxide emissions which are responsible for destabilisation of the climate, contributing to events such as flood, drought, coral bleaching and sea level rise.

While extreme weather events have always happened on occasion, and will always happen, the number of "50-year" flood events or "once in 100 year" storms in recent years is becoming ridiculous, costing us lives and livelihoods. There is every reason to believe that this is a consequence of greenhouse gas pollution. Our only sane option is to reduce emissions. Displacing coal-fired electricity generation with clean power sources such as wind and solar energy is one of the most cost-effective ways to do so.

Please consider favourably the significant contribution which the proposed Rye Park Wind Farm will make.

I reside in regional NSW and I strongly support approval of this proposed wind farm project. It is of critical importance to NSW that our electricity generation meets 21st Century standards, i.e. it needs to be clean, sustainable and efficient. Wind farms meet all of these criteria. Further, they help to reduce production from our archaic and polluting coal fired generation fleet.

Rapidly moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy is of critical importance to the future prosperity of NSW. The recent storm damage suffered in NSW represents a small warning of what is to come if we don't take urgent action to combat climate change.

I have personally developed several wind farms and feel that this project is well designed and appropriate for the area.

I am strongly in favour of Renewable Energy in general and this project in particular.

We cannot wait any longer to take decisive action on climate change. We must conserve energy wherever possible and make a smooth but rapid transition to Renewable Energy.

Solar and wind farms are the way of the future and must be not only allowed but actively encouraged.

I completely support the Rye Park Wind Farm Project and encourage others to support this as well.

Having grown up on a farm in the nearby community of Rugby, I strongly believe the Rye Park Wind Farm Project will provide a great asset not only to local farmers, but the entire community, as this will not only increase land and farming prices, but also bring jobs and people to the community, increase infrastructure to the area (i.e. upgrade of roads) and will no doubt create a flow on affect for other industries to grow, including schooling and possibly even tourism.

I currently live in the Newcastle/Hunter region and see the damage the fossil fuel/coal industry is doing to the local community and land/coastal area on a daily basis, both from a health and environmental prospective. Whilst this industry still has a place in the Australian energy sector, it is clearly time for renewable energy resources to advance. We can no longer deny wind energy as one of the prime renewable energy resources of the future, so why limit the Rye Park and surrounding areas to agriculture, given it is such a valuable resource for wind?

Whilst I understand some residents may not wish to have this amazing renewable energy resource on their doorstep, we as a society no longer have the option to pick and choose. As a society that relies on electricity more and more, we must be more energy conscious and this should start from where we derive our energy from - in a clean, quiet, economical and efficient manner.

In any business proposal a risk-analysis must be performed and in this instance it is extremely clear that the financial and environmental benefits far out-weight any perceived impact on health and the environment, let alone the impact wind turbines would have on the visual impact of the land. Most people I know believe wind turbines are graceful and some even consider them to be a work of art. Without question they are much easier on the eye than large mining sites or coal ports. I certainly know my young children love driving past the wind turbines near Crookwell and Lake George. We should encourage our children to look towards the future and see how this technology can assist the community with such a limited impact to the environment.

I strongly believe the Rye Park Wind Farm Project is just one of many wind farm projects that should be approved in the near future, not only for the benefit of the local community but also for the benefit of the entire Australian population, now and in the future. I honestly believe our children and children's children will be bitterly disappointed in our generation if we are unable to come together and get this achieved in the near future.

As previously stated by another supporter of wind farms in Australia, if you go with an open mind you cannot help see their beauty and grace: quietly powering our energy-hungry life styles while doing very little harm to the environment.

17 June 2016

Upon reading the local online paper for last week, I am shocked to find that this proposal is still going ahead.

I object to this problem on many levels from impact on our environment (including roadways) during both construction and deconstruction as well as audio and visual impacts; however, these have been outlined in many other objection submissions so I don't see the need to repeat them, simply to note that I support these objections.

My major objection is the visual impact. Why do these proposals still include bladed turbines. Work on BLADELESS WIND TURBINES is currently under way and these would not impact on birds and would not have the audio impact as well as being a more attractive option than a bladed wind turbine.

It would be horrendous to find that in 5 years time, bladeless wind turbines are fully functional and proposed for new wind farms and our corner of the world is stuck with bladed wind turbines that won't be decommissioned for at least 25 years. I think if wind farms must be built, they should henceforth be BLADELESS WIND TURBINES - this might provide a good compromise between the perceived need for wind farms and none of us wanting bladed wind turbines.

I support the Rye Park project because I know that wind farms bring great economic benefits by:

1. attracting investment and jobs
2. putting downward pressure on power prices
3. improving energy supply security
4. complementing traditional rural industries

The renewable energy sector has already attracted $20 billion in new investment to Australia. That number will increase substantially out to 2020, and the renewable energy sector will generate new jobs for local contractors supplying wind energy projects. More than 20,000 Australians were employed in the renewable energy sector in 2015, and the sector is set to generate many thousands more jobs in rural and regional Australia by 2020.

Recent ACIL-Allen modelling for the Warburton review of the Renewable Energy Target demonstrated that renewable energy puts downward pressure on power prices in Australia. Not only do wind and green technologies bring increased competition to the energy sector in Australia, wind generators can operate more cheaply than traditional fossil fuel generators too.

Renewable energy provides a hedge against rising gas prices. While gas prices have dramatically increased in the recent past due to linkages with international markets, renewable energy supply prices are predictable and low. Greater utilisation of renewable sources like wind can boost energy security, and may even free up more gas for export. The cost of renewable wind energy, unlike gas, is predictable and not subject to price volatility, and wind energy will play an important and growing role in Australia's energy mix.

Renewable energy sources like the wind are secure sources of energy, and free in terms of fuel costs. While setting up the infrastructure to harness these sources does require up front investment, transitioning Australia's energy sector to utilise more renewable energy is absolutely key to a secure and affordable energy supply into the future.

Australia and its communities have the great benefit of first class renewable energy resources, and the potential to be an energy superpower in a carbon-constrained world economy. Some communities have the luck of being able to capitalise on this renewable energy opportunity. Rye Park and its community can harness the benefits, employment, and new industry of a renewable energy project like Rye Park, while enjoying its continuing and traditional rural and agricultural industries.

Good luck to Trustpower and Rye Park!

I do not live in the Rye Park area but am 100% for investing in and implementing renewable energy resources for the future, and wind farms are proven to be an efficient means of power generation!

I am in full support of the Rye Park Wind Farm and any other Wind farm that is proposed. The benefits of Renewable Energy of any form must be considered over fossil fuel use. Clean Energy is a must for our country, environment and future. Our local community from farmers to businesses will benefit greatly from a wind farm. History has shown when the farmers have money the entire rural community does well. The turbines will allow Host landholders to invest in their farms with a flow on effect to the community, farmers are an aging part of the population, it would be great to think the next generation will want to take the farms over in a healthy state.

I am very concerned about the effect the quantity and height of the proposed wind turbines at Rye Park and the proposed clearing of grassy box wood land, will have on the superb parrots that visit the area to nest and raise their young in the spring and summer months. These are rare birds and their successful nesting and breeding relies on corridors of woodland, and uninterrupted flight paths. They are shy and do not like disturbance particularly during summer months.
Not only do the proposed turbines have a negative effect on the wildlife, they also effect humans who chose to live in an urban environment, they are noisy and offer considerable visual pollution to an area people live in for the quality and peace of the life style.

Please go ahead. Let's have more renewable energy in Australia, especially NSW. Other countries with far less potential than us for renewable energy are surging ahead of us. Time to get moving. Cut the fossil fuel right out.