Bullet points for Draft Wind Farm State Code acoustics review 

• Acoustics problem[s] associated with wind-farms are due to the infrasonic and low frequencies harmonics and their interaction between several turbines. Those generate[] annoyances and to higher intensities health effects.
• By using both a time average and frequency weighting, by definition, all those harmonics disappear and as such no assessments ofthe impact of those harmonics can be made.
• To assess those harmonics, it is necessary to use unfiltered data and no time average.
• The low frequencies and infrasmmd effects cannot be assessed by dBA. By design[], the A filtering process takes away low frequency and infrasound. Low frequencies and infrasound need to be assessed by dBlin which is unfiltered data according to frequency.
• Annoyance has not been considered in either guideline[.]
• Wind masking has been applied as if it was masking noise of similar frequencies[,] and this is not the case.
• The distance of 1500m as a buffer will not be sufficient for the current size of wind turbine. This distance had originated years ago for much smaller size turbines and at the time was probably a correct distance.
• The noise criteria proposed in the draft wind farm s[t]ate code [will] most likely not protect residents for their health and well-being and will not protect their environmental values.
• It is uncertain and unlikely that the noise criteria proposed in the draft wind farm s[t]ate code will protect animals such as farmed animals for their health and well-being from low and infrasonic noise exposure.

From: Dr Antoine David, PhD, MEng, MAAS, Technical Specialist (Noise), Technical Support Unit, Regulatory Capability and Customer Service, Department of Environment and Heritage Protectsion

CC: Corro EHP ESR RCaCS, Lindsay Delzoppo, Lawrie Wade, David Cook

From: Tony Roberts, Deputy Director-General, Environmental Policy and Planning, Department of Environment and Heritage Protection

Sent: Monday, 7 September 2015

To: Paul Roff, Lawrie Wade (Planning Support)

We have reviewed the draft code (noting that it is based on independent technical advice) and have no concerns.

From: Paul Roff

Sent: Monday, 24 August 2015

To: David Cook, Manager, Technical Support and Community Response, Regulatory Capability and Customer Service, Department of Environment and Heritage Protection

Cc: Carro EHP ESR RCaCS, Lindsay Delzoppo, Antoine David, Carro EHP EPP DDG, Lawrie Wade

I also have been asked to prepare a response to this letter. Lawrie Wade tells me there was a previous letter stating out position that wind farms should not be an ERA. The reply letter needs to restate out opposition to Wind Farms being an ERA.

Download original document: “Right To Information release 15-127”