January 24, 2013
Australia

Families, shire demand wind farm noise test results

By Sean McComish | January 25, 2013 | The Standard | www.standard.net.au

Moyne Shire and four families from Mortlake south have stepped up demands that wind energy giant Acciona clarify the results of noise testing carried out last year.

Mayor Jim Doukas and representatives from the families will meet with member for Polwarth Terry Mulder today hoping to pressure the company into carrying out a fresh survey of wind speed and noise levels.

Several residents surrounding the proposed 51-turbine project have accused the company of dishonesty after its weather mast failed at the same time as residents were carrying out their own survey.

The Acciona weather mast had been commissioned to take background noise levels and wind speeds between May and August last year but failed to take wind speeds for 30 days.

A resolution was also passed at this week’s monthly meeting calling on the wind energy giant to combine its own results with data from Bureau of Meteorology Mortlake tower to complete the picture from the time when the mast failed.

Acciona senior manager Lisa Francis said the company provided a comprehensive assessment of background noise. “Some data was excluded, but this had no material impact on the results of the noise monitoring program or the ability of our noise monitoring consultant to determine base noise level criteria for the Mortlake south wind farm,” she said.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/01/24/families-shire-demand-wind-farm-noise-test-results/