Wind farm submissions show divided opinions 

Submissions for and against the Crudine Ridge Wind Farm near Pyramul have been published online one month after a public meeting on the divisive proposal.

The Planning Assessment Commission received 68 written submissions from nearby residents and interest groups on the 77 wind turbine farm that was recommended for approval by the Department of Planning and Environment in December last year.

The independent body will consider the submissions ahead of its determination with a date yet to be set.

The majority of submissions were read to the commission at the Pyramul meeting on February 10.

Among the 23 speakers who addressed the PAC members were landowners like Brendan Cole who will host the 160-metre high turbines.

“This will be a windfall for me, providing ongoing financial incentive, an opportunity that comes only once in a lifetime,” Mr Cole said in his submission.

“It will give me the ability to improve the infrastructure on my farm and improve my management and lifestyle. It will enable me to employ more labour on my property to achieve the improvements I need.”

He said the project is the community’s “contribution to slowing climate change” that will accommodate farming unlike coal mining.

Penny Hundy will see 30 53 story high turbines from her kitchen window.

“As a non-involved landowner who completely objects to this project, ‘moderate’ visual impacts, that is the second highest possible level, should be considered as unacceptable,” her submission said.

“I believe further wind turbines need to be removed until ‘non-involved’ landowners are subjected to no more than ‘low’ visual impacts.”

Others have reported inaccurate mapping by the developer that has resulted in incorrect noise and visual impact estimations.

At least 24 turbines from the Sallys Flat cluster will be seen from Alicia Hawkins’ parents’ property – classified as ‘high visual impact’.

“My parents will be able to view from their home further turbines from the Pyramul cluster, which has not been discussed in any reports regarding this wind farm. Without an accurate presentation of predicted visual impact from the property, both the Department of Planning and Environment and my parents are unable to achieve a full understanding of the impact of the proposed turbines on this property, both visually and financially through loss of property value.”

Tim Rowland-Jones is building a house on his property but said he has never been contacted with the developer.

He said noise estimations had been done for a residence on his property that does not exist and is “not even remotely close to where the actual house is to be built”.

“We have been supplied with false and misleading information, led to believe in something that is not to be the case,” he said in his submission. “I believe this project must be at least suspended until all of the local residents who will be directly impacted by this have at least been consulted, are provided with correct and accurate information and more importantly are considered.”