New wind farm plans stir up discontent
Plans for a multimillion dollar wind farm near Crookwell have re-opened old wounds in the Yass Valley.
Epuron, the company responsible for the inception of wind farm projects at Cullerin Range and Conroy’s Gap, has announced plans for another wind farm near Crookwell.
Epuron sold the planning rights for the Gunning and Yass wind farm projects to Origin Energy in January and recently submitted environmental and engineering investigations for the Gullen Range wind farm project to the NSW Department of Planning for approval.
The news has re-ignited the concerns and emotions of property owners in the Black Range area who continue to fervently oppose the building of turbine towers on Conroy’s Gap.
Astley Tually is the Chairman of the Black Range Landscape Guardians, a community-based group formed in 2005 to fight the wind power companies. He said the contentious issue continues to divide the community.
“Four farming families were approached [by Epuron] to put wind farms on properties but I’ve been told some of them are no longer interested.
“There is no support for them in our district except for the four original families, some of which have backed away.
“It will certainly split the community if they are built. It will be a very sad thing and it will cause a lot of grief and ill will in the area,” Mr Tually said.
“The issue has already caused disunity among family and friends and people who have known each other for years.”
A spokesperson from Origin Energy said the company has no immediate plans to develop Conroy’s Gap.
“Origin purchased the rights to develop Conroy’s Gap but has not acted on those rights and has no plans to develop in the short term.”
Mr Tually said he could understand the allure of the wind farms, particularly the promise of much-needed financial support for drought stricken farmers in the region.
“Some of these farmers are on their knees and they have been offered a financial way out but they have only been told half the story.”
Epuron believes the wind farms will help clean up power generation in NSW and reduce greenhouse emissions by over 90,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide for each year of operation.
Mr Tually is not so convinced.
“If the wind is too strong they turn off and if the wind is too weak they don’t turn on. It’s all about making money.
“I fervently believe the smaller wind farms are being built for carbon credits and not for making power.”
Epuron’s Environmental Assessment for the Gullen Range Wind Farm will be placed on public exhibition in Crookwell, Goulburn and Sydney and the community is invited to make submissions. The Cullerin Range Wind Farm is now under construction and will be operating by mid 2009. The Tribune’s Gunning correspondent, Tony Porter, last week reported that local trades people have been employed to do fencing, electrical and general labouring work.
8 August 2008
The copyright of this article is owned by the author or publisher indicated. Its availability here constitutes a "fair use" as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law as well as in similar "fair dealing" exceptions of the copyright laws of other nations, as part of National Wind Watch's effort to advance understanding of the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development. For more information, click here.
Blog it:
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
