Community group vows to keep up the fight against wind farm despite federal approval 

A community group has vowed to continue the fight against the Hills of Gold Wind Farm despite the project receiving the federal government’s tick of approval on Thursday.

In a statement to the Leader, Hills of Gold Preservation Incorporated (HOGPI) said; “Minister Plibersek has ignored the lack of social license for Hills of Gold Wind Farm, including opposition by the Tamworth Regional Council (TRC), and the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner’s community consultation review that highlighted the importance of avoiding poor site selection.”

HOGPI is further challenging the project in the NSW Land and Environment Court, arguing the NSW Independent Planning Commission was in error in granting approval.

“The Hills of Gold Preservation Inc merits appeal against the Independent Planning Commission’s approval of Hills of Gold Wind Farm continues,” a spokesperson for the group said. “For seven years [HOGPI] members have outlined local majority opposition and potential threats to flora and fauna in the neighbouring Ben Halls Gap Nature Reserve and Crawney Pass National Park.”

Lawyers for the group argue the development will have “serious and irreversible impacts” on at least 14 animal species including koalas, bats, and owls, as well as several endangered plant habitats. They also argue the development should be rejected because the project area is riddled with steep terrain, posing a safety risk from earthworks potentially causing mass movements of soil and water. Lawyers for Hils of Gold Wind Farm Pty Ltd have denied the project would have serious and irreversible impacts on any of the species identified by the legal challengers.

They also say the argument of safety risks from mass erosion isn’t supported “by any material facts”.

On Thursday, Tamworth Region mayor Russell Webb told the Leader he was “disappointed but not surprised” to learn the development had received Ms Plibersek’s approval. Among his concerns is the potential impact on roads and transport infrastructure.

“There’s a political imperative, both at state and federal government level, to get this green energy push moving more quickly,” Cr Webb said. “Most of the people opposed to [the wind farm] are not necessarily opposed to renewable energy in itself, but they are opposed to this particular project and the location that’s been chosen.”

The developer behind the project, ENGIE, declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings but did provide the Leader with a statement. “ENGIE welcomes the Federal Government’s EPBC approval for the Hills of Gold Wind Farm, and we’re continuing to work through legal considerations in order to deliver the project,” an ENGIE spokesperson said.

EARLIER

Tamworth councillors are questioning the political motivations behind the decision to approve the Hills of Gold Wind Farm, which has divided the small-town community of Nundle for years. The controversial development was approved by the federal government on Thursday, along with two wind projects in the Central West.

Federal Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, said the Albanese government has now approved a record 77 renewable energy projects. “Unlike the climate deniers and environmental vandals of the Liberal and National party, Labor is getting on with the job of transforming Australia into a renewable energy superpower,” Ms Plibersek said. “I’ve now approved enough new renewable energy to power more than 10 million homes – nearly every single Australian household.”

Ms Plibersek says renewable energy is already adding more power to the grid than the Coalition’s nuclear plan “could hope to produce in 25 years”. “This is what action on cost of living and climate change looks like,” she said.

But the Hills of Gold Wind Farm still faces significant headwinds. The project’s approval from the state government is being challenged in the Land and Environment Court by Nundle community group Hills of Gold Preservation Inc with backing from Tamworth Regional Council.

“Hills of Gold Preservation Inc members are disappointed with the federal government approval of the Hills of Gold Wind Farm,” a spokesperson for the group said in a prepared statement. “Minister Plibersek’s approval comes despite members’ personal representations to her advisers, and staff representations to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister [for Energy] Chris Bowen.”

Tamworth Region mayor Russell Webb says he’s “disappointed but not surprised” to learn the development received Ms Plibersek’s approval. “There’s a political imperative, both at state and federal government level, to get this green energy push moving more quickly,” Cr Webb said. “Most of the people opposed to [the wind farm] are not necessarily opposed to renewable energy in itself, but they are opposed to this particular project and the location that’s been chosen.”

Cr Webb said his chief concern is the impact on roads and transport infrastructure which will be required to support the construction of the renewable energy project. Among other concerns, Tamworth Regional Council has had trouble convincing the developer behind the project, French multinational ENGIE, to contribute financially to road upgrades at the level it says the company should.

The federal government says its approval comes with “strict conditions” including height limits, locations of turbines, land clearing limits, and management plans for birds and bats. Greens councillor Ryan Brooke says he’s eager to read the fine print on those conditions.

“There’s some details we need to find out about what restrictions have been placed, but it’s been a longstanding position of our local Greens branch that we’re opposed to this particular project,” Cr Brooke said. “Obviously we’re very pro-renewable energy and pro-wind farm, but encroachment on native forest and the potential biodiversity impacts made this one a non-starter for us.”

The Greens councillor said his colleagues in the federal Greens recently approached Ms Plibersek advocating she knock back the Hills of Gold Wind Farm, or at least scale back the project as recommended by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) in 2023. The DPE recommended removing 17 of the initially proposed 64 wind turbines.