Blown away by Jupiter wind farm objections | Goulburn Post | March 7, 2017 | www.goulburnpost.com.au
Wind farm company EPYC has had nearly three years to refine its Tarago district proposal.
It has bombarded with a volley of objections all the way, yet still hasn’t taken notice.
In an extraordinary move, even the Australian Wind Alliance has objected to the development application being assessed by the NSW Planning Department.
In short, it argues the 88-turbine wind farm will not “sufficiently benefit” the wider community.
“The standard of communication and community consultation has been poor, resulting in a lack of trust and unnecessary hostility towards not only this project, but also other wind farms projects in the area,” the Alliance wrote.
Both Goulburn Mulwaree and Queanbeyan-Palerang councils have also objected, the former on the basis of road impact, “unacceptable” visual impact, amenity, noise, vibration and traffic effects.
They are just some of more than 400 objections.
The Department now has an obligation to listen. It has cracked down once before, rejecting the company’s original environmental impact study. On Tuesday it also advised proponents of the Rye Park wind farm to reduce the number of turbines by 25 to 84 due to the visual impact.
The signs are positive. The massive Jupiter wind farm is a lesson in how not to go about consultation. Residents deserve better than spending endless hours scrutinising complex documents and calling for a clearer line of communication. Councils and the Department must be their voice.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2017/03/07/nsw-planning-department-must-act-on-jupiter-wind-farm/