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.

We wish to register our disapproval of Rye Park Wind Farm
SSD 6693 because of some farming and property concerns as we will be greatly impacted by this project.

1 That we can continue farming without disruption in any way.
Some of these concerns are------ aerial supering --- movement of stock on Public roads to shed and between paddocks without traffic and dust problems caused by increased traffic.

2 Erosion into dam from neighbouring property where major road will be built. This dam has a spring in it and is a major water supply during drought. Batching plant on Northern end of project will discharge into creek running through the property.

3 Noice and flicker levels at house on our property will be a concern as their are 7 proposed Turbines within 2 kl and these will need monitoring.

4 The construction of the Wind Farm will devalue our property as quite a few blocks could be sold as Hobby Farms.

5 Radio and television reception could be affected and would need monitoring.

6 The spread of noxious weeds from machinery.

7 Answers to previous submissions have not been acceptable and Turbines have been changed with longer blades and shorter posts so the impact of the fans will be greater.

8 This hilly country is slate country and clearing of vegetation will have a detramental effect and probably never recover from the destruction

We are objecting to the proposed Rye Park Windfarm SSD 6693. Reasons for submission are as follows:

1 There are far to many Turbines visible from the villiage of Rye Park, and are too close to populated areas. Turbines will be much more visible than images predict.

2 If the Bango development eventuates, Rye Park will be surrounded by Turbines at 3 kl on the Eastern and Western sides. One can only imagine the noise and flicker this would cause.

3 After viewing the proposal for local roads in the area ie.Cemetry and Lagoon Creek road and many others , it is impossible for large oversize trucks to access these without clearing many trees affecting bird habitat and cutting corners into private property. Roads East of Rye Park Cemetry and Lagoon Creek area are improperly named. At the Boorowa Rye Park Road intersection to the Rugby Road it will be impossible to turn without demolishing the Telephone Exchange.

4 Cemetry Road will be a main access road with many trees cleared and damage to road service. This road passes the entrance to the Cemetry which is still in use and should not be allowed because of heritage value and in convenience.

5 Wind Farm will cause property devaluation in the Village as well as rural land . This area is becomeing a popular Hobby Farm area.

6 I object to Trust Power using forceful means to achieve Development approval ie; The recent meeting held at Rye Park. Also inconsistent payments offered to neighbouring residents within 2kl of Wind Towers rangeing from $2500 to $5000 so that they cannot complain or enter a submission regarding the Wind Farm.

7 Answers to previous submissions have not been answered. A quick survey of Turbines within 10kl of Rye Park indicates that 75% of the hosts dont live on the properties where the Turbines are to be errected. This shows that the majority of hosts are absentee owners, and are not impacted by their presence.

Rye Park wind farm submission:
My name is Greg Faulkner and I am completely opposed to the Rye Park wind farm.
Residents from the area have made their opposition to the wind farm clear. The proponent does not have the social license required to proceed with their project. It should not proceed.
Health:
The NHMRC has not yet completed its research into the health effects of wind farms. It states on their web page:
"After careful consideration and deliberation, NHMRC concludes that there is currently no consistent evidence that wind farms cause adverse health effects in humans. Given the limitations of the existing evidence and continuing concerns expressed by some members of the community, NHMRC considers that further high quality research on the possible health effects of wind farms is required."
How is it possible wind farm developments to be approved until the required research is completed? What will be the proponents, the departments and the PACs position, should the research find that there is an adverse impact on people's health? Are the department and PAC gambling that this will not be the case?
The proponent refers to the NHMRC in their report without mentioning their most recent and relevant research investigating the impact of wind farms on health and sleep. This speaks volumes about the proponent's integrity and highlights the skewed representation of information used throughout the application.
Visual impact, devaluation and property acquisition:
85 Homes lie within 3km of the wind farm. This is far too many, and the proponent's analysis of the visual impact at these homes should not be accepted.
It entirely to the benefit of the proponent to underestimate the impact of their wind farm on these homes, and any fair assessment would require visual impact to be re investigated by an independent and objective expert.
If the project were approved it is clear that the visual impact of the turbines in the near area will be enormous, and homes will certainly be devalued. This will leave some residents in financial trouble and quite likely unable to relocate, should they feel the need to escape the situation.
Studies which find no property devaluation for homes near wind turbines are convenient and utterly unlikely. I ask a few questions of anyone reading this submission; would you buy a home located in the midst of a wind farm, when there is one just as nice down the road with no turbines? All else being equal, would you pay the same amount? Would you worry about raising your newborn baby under a 157 meter Vesta? Honestly?
The income generated by the turbines for the proponent will be enormous. So huge that they would scarcely notice the cost of property acquisition for the most heavily impacted residents.
After an independent assessment is conducted to determine the true extent of impact, its seems fair that any heavily impacted residents should at least have the option to have their homes acquired for pre wind farm value with consideration for general costs, moving costs and inconvenience. Given the huge financial gain the developer will reap, this is the only ethically correct way forward.
Noise:
Frequency and amplitude modulation are constant issues at all operating wind farms.
The proponent's statement:
"If excessive amplitude modulation is found to be a feature of the turbine noise at the Rye Park Wind Farm, measures will be taken to correct the noise characteristic". (Page 79 RPWF main report)
This is a childishly simplistic and quite inadequate response to a serious matter. The proponent is effectively asking for trust, in an industry where any right to trust has long since been squandered.
Amplitude modulation has already had an adverse effect on the health and sleep of wind farm neighbours all over Australia and wind farm operators have consistently failed to address the problem. It is cheaper and more convenient to question the honesty and mental health of surrounding residents.
What "measures" do they propose to address amplitude modulation? Will they move turbines? Will they turn them off? How will they even know Amplitude Modulation is taking place? Surely residents deserve a better response.
Infra sound:
The proponents assertion that the infra sound generated by its turbines is comparable to other common sources of infra sound is ridiculous. To use this as the basis for not conducting further investigation is a complete cop out.
The infra sound generated by a wind turbine is unique, constant, rhythmic and linked to the weather. The sources of the infrasound, the turbines, are colossal in size and the rotor (the element which generates the Infra sound) is elevated well above the surrounding topography. In addition turbines are dispersed across the landscape over an enormous area. The wavelengths involved are incredibly long and cannot be attenuated by any normal method of construction. It is safe to say there is no other type of infra sound that even approximates the infra sound which is emitted from a wind farm. For the developer to assert otherwise is either misinformed or dishonest.
The proponent should be required to model and take account of infra sound and its potential impact in its application.
Rye Park wind farm should be refused.
Greg Faulkner
Boro, NSW.

I strongly object to the Rye Park Wind Farm.

I bought my property in November 2010 and live approx 3.5kms from the nearest proposed turbine. I have NEVER been contacted by Epuron or Trustpower. I have attended open days. I have filled in feedback forms with my contact information. I have put my name and address on every sign in sheet. But I have still not be contacted. I know of others in the same situation. Trustpower have NOT met the Director General's Requirements for community consultation and it would appear that they are untruthful regarding certain documents in the EIS.

I have been informed by 2 local real estate agents that wind turbines WILL affect the value of my property. And if Trustpower had used agents from the local area instead of from Goulburn, or pulling an excerpt from a report that isn't even about Australian property prices and states miles instead of kilometres, they may have discovered that turbines will, indeed, lower prices - some more than others.

I will be saturated by wind turbines. The Rye Park wind farm east of me and the Bango wind farm to the west and south west of me.
i cannot understand how this could be allowed to happen. There will be nowhere that I will be able to escape these turbines. I will see them from my house and everywhere on my property. I will be surrounded by their noise. I am entitled to quality of life on my own property and in my own home, which up until now I have had. This will be taken from me if these turbine projects go ahead.

The proximity of the Rye Park windfarm to the village of Rye Park is not acceptable. Turbine developments should not be constructed this close to a small township. They are far too close to a school and a pre school. The long term effects of constant infrasound are not yet known. Do not use our children as guinea pigs.

What would happen if both developments were approved with months of each other? Construction of both developments at the same time would be insupportable.

It has become obvious that neither of these companies care about the people who live around their proposed developments. Who then, has a duty of care.

Debbie Vanderlaan

I strongly object to a windfarm being built in Rye Park and surrounds.

The consultation and information that I have personally received has been quite literally non existent until 12 hours after the Dept of Planning meeting held in Rye Park Hall on 8/6/16, when I coincidentally received my first ever contact, via telephone, from Trustpower. Clearly, someone at that meeting has reported back to Trustpower and told them to immediately try to remedy the situation. Not good enough - the fact remains that I have had no contact from Trustpower for 5 1/2 YEARS.
This situation only serves to highlight the the division of the community since this project was proposed. There is no longer open, spontaneous dialogue between people and families who were once friends for many years. There is now suspicion and uncertainty.

At one of Trustpower's open days, I used one of their zoning maps(Figure 6) to assess how far I would be from the nearest turbine. It appeared to be 5kms. This was confirmed by an employee at Yass on 8/6/16. Upon comparing Figure 6 and Figure 17, Photo Sheet 11, it appeared we were, in fact, only 3.5kms from the nearest turbine. This was confirmed by the Dept of Planning at a public information session at Rye Park Hall on 8/6/16. The disturbing part of this is that if my distance is out, according to this map, so is most of Rye Park and the Blakeney Creek area.

The value of my property is a very disturbing concern for me. In April and May 2016 I had two different local real estate agents visit my property to give me a valuation. When asked for their opinion on the effect wind turbines would have on the property value they both stated that it would definitely impact the value negatively. I object to Trustpower's response 9.3.8 Property Value which has obviously been pulled out of some obscure, unamed report which measures distance in miles. Why did Trustpower not obtain information from local real estate agents (Boorowa and Yass). I was informed byTrustpower's own representative at their shop in Yass that they got their information in Goulburn.

My particular situation involves 2 windfarms. I have Rye Park windfarm to the east and Bango windfarm to the west. This situation is completely unacceptable to me. I live on a small farm/lifestyle property, not a large grazing concern, and as such, turbines will be visible from every part of my property, including my house. This saturation would be a massive impact on my quality of life and should not be allowed .

The erosion which will result from the construction of turbines will be unavoidable and no "appropriate mitigation procedures" will change that. As an example the high country has not yet recovered from the main gas line which passed through our countryside 40 years ago. There are many areas of non-regeneration and damage can still be seen.

Richard Stapleton

To whom it may concern.

Thankyou for the opportunity to make a submission concerning the Rye Park Wind Farm.

I support the development of the proposed Rye Park wind farm. I live within 2km of a proposed turbine on the north side of Rye Park.

After visiting several operational wind farms, I don't believe my family and I will be adversely affected by the proposed wind farm. I believe at times we may hear noise from the turbines, but this noise will be negligible. The view from our house will be different but not destroyed.

I believe the local community will benefit from the injection of funds to hosts, neighbours and a community fund, from employment opportunities and be helping to produce clean renewable energy. The potential benefits of this project will be spread widely over the area. I don't know exact figures but 30-40 hosts payments, 20-30 neighbours payments, 74 permanent or short term jobs (locally) and an ongoing community fund for the life of the project seems a good trade off so that the wind farm can harvest the wind to produce power.

My 3 children currently attend the Rye Park Public School and I do not believe they will be adversely affected by the wind farm at school. My hope is that the school will benefit from the wind farm if local employment is created and more families move to the area.

I am encouraged that Trustpower chose to respond to previous submissions and concerns.

The proposed wind farm won't necessarily be all good. The landscape will undoubtedly be massively changed by this project, which will take the community a while to adjust to. This is probably the biggest aesthetic change to the landscape since widespread clearing took place several generations ago. I feel that the impact will be small compared to the benefits and small compared to the impacts that other large projects might have on the area. There will also be construction noise and traffic to put up with during the initial construction.

I feel at times the impact of the project is being downplayed by the proponents. Phrases like the following, from section 6 - Updated Environmental Assessment under 6.1.4 Conclusion
" The revised LVIA has determined that the Rye Park wind farm would have an overall medium visual significance on the majority of non-associated and associated residential dwellings within the projects 10 km viewshed."
seem to be downplaying the visual impact of the project. Tell someone who is now looking at 50-80 wind turbines out their window that the overall visual significance has been medium in nature, even if they don't mind the change.

Also the statement again in Section 6 - Updated Environmental Assessment under 6.5.3 Conclusion
"In particular the delivery of the over-mass and oversize wind turbine equipment components may at times affect the flow of local traffic."
I would suggest is again downplaying the significance of the change to normal traffic conditions. The proposal suggests up to 40 additional heavy vehicle movements a day through or around Rye Park. Currently I doubt there would be a dozen heavy vehicle movements a day in the same vicinity.
While I do not believe that these impacts should prevent the development proceeding, they do need to be taken into consideration and put in a local context.

I agree with others that Epuron's original community consultation was woefully inadequate. I do not believe they necessarily acted as good citizens amongst the local community.

There are other things that concern me, like the condition of local roads may be adversely affected, habitat loss, erosion from earthworks, decommissioning and removal of the turbines. However I am hopeful that these issues will be appropriately dealt with and the proponents will be held to account where needed and will be good citizens.

Yours Sincerely
Craig Southwell

I support the Rye Park Wind Farm Project.

We need sustainable energy projects in Australia and this project ticks all of the boxes.

I would welcome rapid acceptance of the latest plan and encourage government to get out of the way and let people who can do.