July 6, 2016
Australia

Wind farm project puts community at loggerheads, say residents

David Cole | Goulburn Post | July 6, 2016 | www.goulburnpost.com.au

Despite the pro-wind side saying the Collector Wind Farm will bring community benefits, many in the village don’t want the project and are vocal in their opposition.

Member of Friends of Collector Richard Stacy said the proposed wind farm had become a divisive issue in the community.

“Everyone was being polite, apart from a few sarcastic comments, it is a divisive issue here,” Mr Stacy said.

“Ratch (the developer) has treated the community with contempt. It is corporate bullying.

Up to 80 per cent of the community surveyed – do not want the wind farm.

“It is like Gullen Range Wind Farm when they put the turbines in the wrong place. They are a law unto themselves.”

Mr Stacy believed Ratch should re-submit the DA and start again.

He said even booking the Community Hall so the Planning Commission hearing could take place was an issue.

“They were going to have the meeting in Gunning because the Independent Planning Assessment Commission (IPAC) representatives were told that the Collector Community Hall was not available on the day. They were going to hold it in Gunning,” Mr Stacy said.

“Well nobody would go to Gunning for it, so I got wind of it and we checked and got in touch with the IPAC in Sydney and told them the hall was available – so they moved the meeting to the Collector Community Hall. The whole thing stinks.”

Another member of the Friends of Collector, Rodd Pahl said the community does not want the wind farm.

“The population in the village is 80 per cent opposed to this wind farm. It has not changed,” Mr Pahl said.

“What concerns me the most is that there is no real mechanism to make complaints. They all just go back to the developer.

“They haven’t built anything; all they have is an approval on paper and some contracts with a few landholders. Now they want to reduce the conditions of the original approval.

“No one wants it. There are no purchase agreements in place for the power. They should take the wind farm project back to Thailand where RATCH comes from (Ratchiburi in Thailand.)

“Noise is the big issue and the NSW Planning Department has caved in (as expected) to water down the original IPAC decisions.

“This fight is a long way from over; the Friends of Collector are already gearing up for a fight in other arenas. Don’t expect to see the Collector Wind Farm become a reality just yet.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/07/06/wind-farm-project-puts-community-at-loggerheads-say-residents/