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COMMUNITY CONSULTATION​

Lack of a proper, coordinated, transparent, professional, informed, structured two way community consultation process and the need to ensure that it accords with the model guidelines for wind farm community consultation and best practice.

 

The need  to mitigate the surrounding negative impact on the fabric and cohesion of the local “rural based” community upon which the Development Proposal has been imposed. Issues raised and feedback given by stakeholders need to be addressed not just listened to.

 

 

SITE SUITABILITY GENERALLY​

Site suitability or lack thereof – adherence to Town Planning Principles – small rural property lots (some less than a hectare) adjoining and interspersed between the four separate and distinct development areas.

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The development area envelopes covering 4 farms over approximately 6840 hectares is not a contiguous development site but rather four separate and distinct development envelopes with a large number of small separate property lots wedged between the separate envelopes the overwhelming majority of who have issues.

 

BUFFERS/SETBACKS

​Lack of any proposed buffers or proper and effective setbacks for 200 metre high, sky scraper wind turbines sited within the proponents land i.e. it appears turbines are located on boundaries of adjoining landowners some appearing to be as close as 60 metres to the boundaries of adjoining "rural premises" thereby pushing the turbines out of the way of the turbine host’s farming operations whilst at the same time being compensated in the form of rent for hosting the turbines and for the inconvenience and loss of their amenity and  up to adjoining landowner boundaries. This directly impacts on their general amenity and rural enterprises when the approved development envelopes are large enough to accommodate deep setbacks or buffers. Given the approved development area is 6840 hectares the 200 meter high wind turbines can easily be sited back from neighbours boundaries.

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The Western Australian EPA Guidance for the Assessment  Environmental factors - Separation Distances between Industrial and Sensitive Land Uses NO 3 June 2005 states that "power generation facilities" are an industrial land use and that "electric power generation generating 10 megawatts has a buffer distance of 3000-5000 metres depending on location and size".

 

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DIRECT IMPACTS

 

• destruction of the Rural Amenity

• destruction of the Rural Landscape

• diminution in property values as a result of the destruction of the above items

• potential nuisance and health risks through noise and infrasound to both humans and livestock

• potential fire risks through lightening strikes and turbine gearbox failure

• effect on livestock through proximity to shadow flicker and noise

• effects and limitation on neighbouring aerial crop spraying

• effects and limitations on neighbouring aerial firefighting activities ( water bombers can't  operate )

• effects and limitations on neighbouring aerial transport, surveillance and transport activities

• the level of any feedback or consultation from the local Shires  to allay legitimate neighbour concerns

• the apparent lack of willingness on the part of the development approval bodies to protect the legitimate interests of ratepayers some of whom have held properties in the district for over a hundred years

• environmental impacts with a direct threat to the endangered Carnaby Cockatoos and other threatened black cockatoos such as the Baudin's Black Cockatoo and the Red Tail Cockatoo.

• environmental issues in relation to the necessity to now clear native roadside remnant vegetation.