Wind farm planning permits in Victoria will now be silent on wind turbine noise 

Background Testing and Acoustic Amenity assessments are now more important than ever.

Especially in Victoria, Australia.

In 2021, the Victoria Planning Minister approved amendment No. VC206 to the Victoria Planning Provisions, which aligns the Planning Act with the EPA Act.

And now in 2023, the Minister has approved amendment No. VC234, which essentially removes wind turbine noise predictions and assessments from the planning permit and hands them over to the EPA pollution authority.

The Minister doesn’t want any informed neighbour holding up the show by objecting to noise.

Planning Provision VC206 shifted all post-construction noise controls to the EPA.

Now, this new Planning Provision VC234 (attached) shifts all pre-construction noise controls to the EPA.

It is now no longer a planning issue – it is now up to the EPA to decide if the wind farm will be compliant for noise pollution.

The problem is it seems EPA officers are not qualified in wind farm acoustics.

The Appointed Victorian EPA Wind Turbine Noise Auditor is a Chemical Engineer, who, it seems, has no experience or qualifications in wind turbine acoustics.

The Wash-Up

Wind farm planning permits in Victoria will now be silent on wind turbine noise.

They will NOT consider wind turbine noise at all.

The public won’t have access to the noise reports and won’t know the impact the wind farm will have on their lives.

The health and livelihoods of the neighbours will be in the hands of public servants, the EPA officers.

It will be up to the professional expertise of the EPA officers to determine if the wind farm is compliant for noise pollution.

Her in lies your opportunity to nail them.

I understand that the EPA is completely useless in understanding and assessing wind turbine noise.

The EPA Officers rely on wind farm acousticians like Arup Pty Ltd to do it for them.

But the EPA is an independent statutory authority and cannot collude with the wind industry to ignore harm to human health.

And, like the Robodebt findings, public servant EPA Officers can be subject to civil and criminal prosecution for professional negligence.

EPA Offices now have their heads on the chopping block.

Neighbours probably know more about an LA90 and High Acoustic Amenity than the EPA.

So NOW IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO GET YOUR OWN INDEPENDENT BACKGROUND TESTING DONE.

And may I suggest also, you have the background data analysed for High Acoustic Amenity.

In this way, you will have the evidence to present to the EPA Officers to hold them to account.

After the findings of the Robodebt Royal Commission, public servants have been put on notice.

If you have evidence that the wind farm will cause harm to your human health – the EPA Offices are now liable for their decisions.

Don’t let any puppet public servant tell you the wind farm is not causing you sleep disturbance, because the background environment was already noisy at night.

Get your own background data evidence to prove it is causing harm to your health.

Get the evidence to call out professional negligence.

Wind Farm Living strongly suggests neighbours invest in Background Testing Data, and also pay the cost for the analysis of the data to determine High Acoustic Amenity.

Wind Farm Living recommends the following reputable acousticians:

L Huson & Associates: office@huson.com.au

Noise Measurement Services: info@noisemeasurement.com.au