February 27, 2013
Australia

Still none the wiser

Herald | Feb. 27, 2013 | www.barossaherald.com.au

It will be another two months before people will find out if the Keyneton Wind Farm will be going ahead.

After the Keyneton Wind Farm hearing at Cambrai Hall on Thursday the Development Assessment Commission indicated to people that they will let them know if the wind farm will go ahead at the end of April.

Eden Valley resident Marina Teusner said some of the residents had come together after the meeting and showed their displeasure at having to wait so long for an answer.

“All it does (prolonging the answer) is cause more anxiety,” Marina said.

“A lot of people are in despair now.

“People are getting ready to leave the area.

“At the end of the hearing Pacific Hydro gave an empty apology and we believe that since Pacific Hydro has acknowledged their failure they need to just walk away.”

General Manager for Pacific Hydro Australia, Lane Crockett, said he, and Pacific Hydro, are upset that they caused so much anxiety for residents surrounding the Keyneton Wind Farm.

“Residents are defending their lifestyle, which is expected and warranted,” Mr Crockett said.

“We have been talking with the community for five to six years.

“There are impacts from wind farms, which include some noise.

“We have designed the wind farm to be compliant and there are strict rules and tests which get undertaken to ensure the wind farm is in the noise level restriction zone.

“Standard research in South Australia shows 70 per cent of people support wind farms in their area.”

When asked about the health affects that residents are concerned about Mr Crockett said there was no solid evidence to show wind farms caused health problems.

The Climate and Health Alliance released a report that stated “despite the existence of large scale commercial wind turbines in densely populated areas for over 20 years, there is no credible evidence in the peer reviewed published scientific literature that there are any direct adverse physiological health effects from exposure to wind turbines.”

However, at the hearing residents were also concerned about the visual impact.

‘We have 120 degree views of the wind farm,” Marina said.

“We have them from every window of our home.

“Why should we be forced to live behind pot plants to blinds (to prevent them from seeing the wind turbines).”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/02/27/still-none-the-wiser/