Please see attached submission on the flawed revised Visual Impact Assessment

Hi Diana,

Apologies for the delay. I refer to your request for Airservices assessment of the Rye Park Wind Farm which has reduced its number of wind turbines since last assessed by Airservices.

Airspace Procedures
With respect to procedures designed by Airservices in accordance with ICAO PANS-OPS and Document 9905, at a maximum height of 932m (3058ft) AHD, the amended wind farm proposal will not affect any sector or circling altitude, nor any instrument or departure procedures at any aerodromes.

Note that procedures not designed by Airservices were not considered in this assessment.

Communications/Navigation/Surveillance Facilities
This amended wind farm proposal consisting of 109 windfarms to the maximum height of 932m AHD (157m AGL) at the provided location will not adversely impact the performance of any Airservices Precision/Non-Precision Nav Aids, Anemometers, HF/VHF/UHF Comms, A-SMGCS, Radar, PRM, ADS-B, WAM or Satellite/Links.

King regards,
Carly

The key points in Yass Valley discussions with the applicant have been focused on two matters i.e.
· Community Enhancement Fund
· Road impacts

These discussions have been held joint with Upper Lachlan Shire Council and Boorowa Council (now Hilltops Council).

Community Enhancement Fund
A Volunteer Planning Agreement has been negotiated based on $2,500/turbine contribution to a Community Enhancement Fund administer by each LGA (see http://www.yassvalley.nsw.gov.au/sites/yassvalley/files/public/documents/Planning/Rye%20Park%20-
%20VPA%20Yasss%20%28Final%20June%202016%29.pdf ). Similar agreements have been prepared for our neighbouring Councils. The Yass Valley VPA is on exhibition until 29 July 2016 and will be presented to Council for endorsement on 10 August 2016. Council seeks to have this arrangement included in any Consent that may issue for the project.

Road Impacts
It is essential that access to the site using Council's local roads for all construction traffic is brought up to an appropriate standard prior to any construction on site. These road upgrades are required for all forms of vehicles (not just the over mass, over dimensional haulage routes) as the greatest damage to the road infrastructure is by gravel, sand, cement and water trucks. For consistency it is suggested
that the road standards be based on those of Upper Lachlan Shire.

Council would appreciate the opportunity to have input into any Consent conditions prior to the matter being determined.

Chris Berry
Director Planning
Yass Valley Council

Refer to the attached.

As a resident of Rugby, NSW. I would like to show my support for the development of the Rye Park Wind Farm.

Having lived and traveled through Europe years ago, from Southern Spain, France, Germany and England, I was lucky on some occasions to able to see, hear and experience up close the majestic structure and beauty that is the modern day wind tower.

From these little towns to the open country side, I wondered why "we" didn't have these amazing projects back at home. Why didn't we have these to make use of the cold harsh winds that ravish the landscape in Winter, to capture energy from the Easterly see breeze in the evenings when we are not exposed to what can, at the time, seems like an endless scorching hot westerly in Summer. The Wind Farm is something that I strongly approve of.

As technology develops in "ever increasing leaps and bounds" there will be the ability to capture and store (companies are working on it now) more and more renewable energy from all different forms, be intermittent ones like solar and wind. A project like the Rye Park wind Farm can add to the existing demand and be a driver for technological development to lessen "our" demand for fossil fuels in the future.

Bringing in new talent and new people, creating new employment opportunities, adding a diversified income, especially during debilitating droughts, having better defensive lines in the event of fires. These are all positive things that I believe will help our community.

Having moved back to Rugby (where I grew up) from living in Sydney and abroad, I have found there is very little in the way of available employment. A project such as this would be great in boosting the small villages & towns as a whole.

Lets hope this project gets developed to help our local economy and do something positive for the future, something positive for a greener environment.

Dear Sir, Madam

My wife and I purchased Begalia at the intersection of the Cooks Hill Road, Rye Park, & Dalton Road, 12 months ago. We have two children Tom and Emily. At the time of purchasing this farm there was no disclosure or indication to us that there was a wind farm going ahead. It is now our understanding that the turbines will be located within 2km of our home.

Our concerns

Visual impact of the turbines
Damage to infrastructure primarily roads
Erosion and land degradation at turbine sites and access roads
Noise
Size of turbines. Tower height and blade length. It is our understanding that these turbines will be the biggest and noisiest to date
Devaluation of our land
What impact will the project have on our farming business
Impact on flora and fauna
Inaccuracies of maps and roads

Summary

We feel that these turbines only have a negative impact on our farming business and lifestyle. Living within 2kms of this project means that the visual impact of these turbines will be inescapable. These turbines are advertised as being a green form of energy. But at what cost to the surrounding landscape and it's inhabitants? What will happen when the technology is deemed obsolete or the company goes broke? How much money does our government need to throw at these projects to make them viable. As stand alone projects I don't think they would get off the ground. If these turbines go ahead my family and I would support a class action against this project.

I support the amended EA for the Rye Park Wind Farm. Projects like this one are essential if NSW is going to achieve it's stated target of generating 20% of it's electricity from renewable sources. The Rye Park Wind Farm is expected to generate about 1,200 GWh's of electricity per annum for 20+ years. Wind farms are essential for the generation of industrial scale renewable energy, and along with small and large scale solar will become the generation systems for the 21st Century.
Wind farms are very complementary with agriculture, having virtually no impact on grazing systems underneath them. The Rye Park region is well known as an agricultural area that is predominately grazing land. The income the involved landholders receive from the lease agreements to host the turbines will make them more resilient and able to withstand times of low income from agriculture from droughts or low commodity prices. This proposal has also included payments to neighbours of the wind farm. This is a most welcome initiative and should be applauded by all. It is estimated that about $2 million per annum will be paid to local farmers from this project. No other development proposal will generate this amount of income for the region, while allowing the rural nature of it to be preserved and enhanced.
In addition to the payments to the involved landholders the proponent has committed to paying nearly $300,000 per annum into a Community Enhancement Fund, sharing the benefit of the turbines even wider into the community. This is fantastic news and should be welcomed by all.
The economic activity and jobs created by the construction of the wind farm and the ongoing maintenance of it is very substantial and will revitalise this area.
I have read most of the objections to this and other wind farms and think that the opponents are making up fanciful stories and telling outright lies to scare people into opposing the project. This scandalous behaviour needs to be called out for what it is; blatant scaremongering.
Small landholders have been told their properties are going to be unsaleable if the wind farm is built. This is wrong. A cursory look at land values around the recently constructed Taralga and Gullen Range Wind Farms shows compelling evidence that property prices have actually increased faster since the wind farms have been built than they did before the wind farms were constructed.
Local small businesses and contractors will obviously be able to take advantage of the increase in economic activity from the wind farm, particularly during the construction phase. Many of them are quietly supportive of the proposal, but are not inclined to participate in the sometimes vociferous debate about the merits of it. This "silent majority" will probably not make submissions to the project and the Dept needs to take account of this as they consider the EA.
There are many reasons to support this wind farm, but one of the strongest is the fact that the wind farm will not use any water as it generates clean energy. Water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource as the effects of climate change take hold and the Rye Park area is highly vulnerable to this variability in the climate. Unlike coal, gas and nuclear power plants wind (and solar) don't use any water. Please remember this as you deliberate on the merits of this (and other) wind farms.
The fact that Trustpower have reduced the number of turbines from 126 to 109 indicates they have taken the concerns expressed by the Office of Environment and Heritage to the original EA seriously and modified the plan of the wind farm to minimise, or totally remove, any detrimental effects it may have on local flora and fauna. This is a very commendable and environmentally conscious move from Trustpower.
Erosion, water management, traffic management, and all other aspects of the proposal have been considered and I'm sure will be monitored by the relevant authorities, particularly during the construction period. I note the changes to the proposed heavy vehicle traffic routs and see this as more evidence of the due diligence from Trustpower.
I SUPPORT THIS PROJECT AS IT STANDS, AND CANNOT SEE ANY REASON FOR FURTHER AMENDMENTS FROM THE DEPT DURING THE FURTHER PROCESSING OF THE EA.

I fully support the proposed Windfarm at Rye Park.
I have waited until 4:00pm on tthe closing date for submissions so I could read as many for and against submissions as possible.I am yet to read a negative submission that could convince me that not getting this project built is more socially and morally responsible than building it. I am a supporter of the emerging renewable energy industries ,not just for the jobs and growth they bring to regional Australia, but for their contribution to the considerable cuts to carbon emissions and green house gasses released into our atmosphere by coal fired electricity production.I would like to see an expansion of wind and solar projects in appropriate well resourced areas of Australia in order to eventually phase out Coal burning as our primary source of electricity production.I applaud governments locally and oversees who have embraced the challenges in installing renewables over fossil fuels . The ACT ,South Australia and Victoria all have ambitious but realistic renewable energy targets and are on the way to becoming powered significantly by renewable energy provided by wind farms. Projects like Rye Park Windfarm and other renewable energy projects in the Southern Table lands that are well resourced and capable of generating clean energy over a similar life time as a coal burning plant but with no carbon emissions and no black lung disease are an essential part of our future on this planet .It is our generations moral responsibility to embrace renewable energy projects for the future environmental and climatic stability of our planet.