Wind turbines have farmers spinning out
Rural communities are splintering over plans to build dozens of wind turbines in southern NSW.
Landowners opposed to the 132-metre high turbines are devaststed their lifestyles, landscape and land values could be destroyed by neighbours allowing turbines on their farms.
At Conroy’s Gap, north of Yass, 15 turbines are planned.
Epuron Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of German company, Conergy, received government approval for three wind farm projects in southern NSW but sold the rights to power retailer, Origin Energy.
One of the projects south of Crookwell is for 84 turbines the height of a 40-storey building along a 22-kilometre stretch the developers call Gullen Range.
Wildlife artist Humphrey Price-Jones, who also runs beef cattle, said because he owned the highest point on the ridge he was one of the first asked to host the turbines.
He flatly rejected the bid because he believed wind turbines were inefficient, killed birds and he didn’t want to upset his nighbours: “Then three of my neighbours signed up for them.
“We are hardly going to look favourably on them and they don’t like me because they see me as standing in the way of them earning money.
“It has also divided families because the son of one of my neighbours is lukewarm about having the turbines while his father is determined, so they are hardly a happy lot.”
Mr Price-Jones said the proposed wind turbines would transform Crookwell from a beautiful rural area into a huge industrial site because not only were the turbines “incredibly obtrusive” on the landscape and noisy, there was all the associated works like sub-stations and overhead power lines.
“And no coal-fired power station will be shut down by this development because they don’t work when there is no wind, they shut down when the wind is too strong and the power they generate can’t be stored.
“You could put a turbine on every ridge and hill in NSW and it would not make any difference to greenhouse gas emissions because they can’t store energy generated.”
John McGrath lives where Origin wants to build the Conroy’s Gap 15-turbine wind farm near Yass.
“I’ve been here all my life and now people I’ve grown up with, my cousin, an uncle and a neighbour, have signed to have wind turbines on their properties without any real consultation with anyone,” he said.
“It’s split the community down the middle.
“My mother is dead against these things and her brother, my uncle, has been promoting them,” Mr McGrath said.
By Denis Gregory
31 August 2008
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