Tension blowing in the wind
Amie Brokenshire, Editor Yorke Peninsula Country Times | 15 January 2013 | www.ypct.com.au
Amie Brokenshire, Editor Yorke Peninsula Country Times | 15 January 2013 | www.ypct.com.au
When the Ceres Project was officially announced in September 2011, an invisible fence immediately appeared.
On one side were the supporters – the developers and those who had agreed to host wind turbines.
And on the other side, the opponents, who immediately started expressing their concerns about issues involved with such a large-scale wind farm.
Since then, tension has been building and at the information day at Curramulka on Sunday, emotions boiled over.
For the police to have been called to what was supposed to be a public information session doesn’t look good.
With any controversial issue communication is the key.
From the developers’ perspective – their doors need to be open. They need to be transparent about their plans.
They are doing this through their public information sessions, fact sheets, website and plan to release the full 1500-plus page development application.
Where they failed on Sunday was neglecting to explain how the information sessions were going to work and not facilitating the opportunity for more questions to be answered.
Sometimes it may seem like the opponents are asking the same questions about the same issues but they just want to hear it from the horse’s mouth – even if it is for the second, third or fourth time.
It is sad to see the division of a community which was once so tight-knit.
The way communities work together in harmony is one of Yorke Peninsula’s best strengths.
But this elephant in the room is dividing the community and splitting friendships.
People who once worked together on community projects are now trying to avoid one another which is heartbreaking for small towns.
The YP Country Times is neither for or against the wind farm. Our job is to present the facts, what the benefits could be and which issues are causing concern.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/01/15/tension-blowing-in-the-wind/