Winterbourne Wind

Submissions for this projects EIS have now closed. Click here to download the Voice for Walcha's Group Submission.

DEVELOPER

Vestas, Copenhagen Infrastructure + WalchaWind

TURBINES

119 (October 2022)

MEGAWATTS

700 EIS SUBMISSIONS HAVE CLOSED

View the Planing Portal Page here

The Winterbourne Wind project, with a planned 119 x 6.2MW Turbines, has a footprint that reaches within 6km of the Walcha township, 2.5km from the Apsley Falls lookout point, and 3.5km from the Steep Drop Falls Trail. It is adjacent to the World Heritage listed Gondwana Rainforests Area, incorporating the Wild Rivers National Park.

Despite being on the planning table for many years, the wider community has not been made aware of the shape and scale of this project until recent community discussions and a forum, where the developer, Vestas, declined to attend. This lack of consultation and engagement has been disappointing, and falls short of expectations a community should have of a developer.

Project Timeline

Project INFORMATION

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How to make a Submission for the Winterbourne Wind EIS

In a nutshell, a developer needs to produce an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) in order to satisfy the Planning Department. This EIS is submitted to the Planning Department and then released for public display for 28 days.

If there is a significant number of relevant objections to the project, the Planning Department will make a decision if referral to the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) is required.

The aim of our efforts is to achieve this referral to the IPC, to force the developer to address the concerns of the community.

If you are interested in the detail on the State Significant Development (SSD) process, go to Understanding the State Significant Development Process

How to lodge a submission online

How to send a submission via the post

Tips for writing a good submission

Lodging your submission may seem a little confusing at first glance - so here are some simple steps to follow to make the process a little less overwhelming.

If your still confused as to where to start, don't hesistate to contact us directly.

Note: We have used the Winterbourne Wind Farm project an example of how to use and set up the NSW Planning Portal.

1 Go to the NSW Department of Planning Portal

2 You will have to create an account if you don’t already have one and this will require you to enter your personal details and email address.

3 You can manage your submission from the dashboard by clicking on the project

4 Find the project using the search bar and typing WINTERBOURNE WIND

5 This will bring up the State Significant Projects page with WINTERBOURNE WIND FARM click on this project

6 Now click on MAKE A SUBMISSION

7 Make a PERSONAL submission and you can also make a further submission if you have a business.

8 The you can then continue with entering the details of your submission whether it be OPPOSED, SUPPORT or a COMMENT on aspects of the project.

You will have to choose between “Support”, “Comment”, or “Object”. If you want to halt or have the project modified, we will need to have a significant number of objections registered. If you simply desire a modification to the project, an “Objection” does not mean that you want to shut the project down, it simply means that you “object” to the project in its current form, and your comments will note where you would like modification to be made.

Where this isn’t possible, you may send a paper-based submission by post or hand-deliver it to one of the department's offices.

1 To ensure the department receives your submission, both the submission and mailing envelope must be addressed to the nominated contact person or team listed on the project page. Submissions for the Winterbourne Wind Project must be addressed to:

Attn: IWAN DAVIES
Planning and Assessment Department of Planning and Environment
Locked Bag 5022
Parramatta NSW 2124

IMPORTANT!

If you choose to send a paper-based submission and it’s not addressed to the nominated contact person or team, the submission will not be received by the department and will be returned to sender.

2 Your submission MUST include:

Your full name and address (provide this information in a separate cover letter if you want your personal details to be withheld from publication)
Name of the application and the application number - WINTERBOURNE WIND FARM SSD-10471
A statement on whether you support or object to the proposal or are simply providing comments (preferably in the title or first paragraph of the submission)
The reasons why you support or object to the proposal
A declaration of any reportable political donations made in the previous two years (for further information about political donations and to obtain disclosure statements, visit the Donations and gift disclosure page).

Your submission must reach us before the close of the exhibition period.

Consider the following

When compiling your own letter, consider any of the issues or concerns that have been raised in our community.

Alternatively, consider your own circumstances and how the project will impact on you, your family, your community, your land, and your future. Consider Social Impacts, economic impacts and environmental impacts.

A good submission should ....

Introduce yourself or your group, acknowledge the opportunity to make a submission and note any relevant work you or your group has done.
Outline your key concerns and focus your discussion on these. It is not necessary to address the whole proposal - choose the parts that are most relevant to you.
If possible, make recommendations. Make strong clear statements, e.g., ‘the proposal should be amended to include a requirement that…’
Use evidence or case studies or stories to support your arguments and recommendations. Give specific examples that draw on your knowledge and experience. If you can, collect other stories that support your argument from others in the community. You can also draw on the work of others, for example scientific publications, government documents, or the work of other organisations.
Don’t forget to set out the aspects of the proposal that you think are good. There may be other stakeholders who want to get rid of things you think are positive, so it is important to point out what you support.
Always give details about how you arrived at your assertions. For example, instead of saying: 'The golf course proposal is outrageous. It will pollute the river.' You could consider saying something like: 'Irrigating the lawns of the 50-hectare golf course, together with using fertiliser and herbicides, is likely to result in changes to the water table, nutrient pollution, and an adverse impact on the red gum forest next to the land where the golf course is proposed'.
We have a link to a very worthwhile guideline for writing a submission, please follow this Writing Submissions, Letters or Petitions

IMPORTANT - Make sure your submission must reach the Planning Deptartment before the close of the exhibition period.

Still need help getting started? We can help.

Contact us for ideas, support in compiling a letter, or for support in the process.

Planned Traffic Route

Can our roads handle this much impact from this project?

The construction period for Winterbourne Wind is expected to last approximately 2 YEARS with peak construction lasting 9 MONTHS

Mouse over the flashing icons to view the route

Source: Vestas communication

Vestas has indicated during a recent meeting, that the trip from Tamworth to Walcha, with the oversized trucks, carrying 80m turbine blades and 6m diameter tower sections, will take 2 hours. This appears optimistic, however, what we are more concerned about is the section of road between Bendemeer and Walcha. This is a road that has limited options for overtaking a regular vehicle, let alone a truck. Consider a 85m truck slowly negotiating bridges, bends, or other obstacles. The 6m diameter tower sections, we are informed, will require both lanes in many areas. Complete road blockages will be frequent and time consuming. This will be occurring over a two and half year period. We are concerned about regular traffic for shopping, tourism, medical appointments, couriers, goods transport (including time critical freight), school bus traffic, and of course, emergencies.
We are concerned that the design and quality of our pavement is simply not capable of withstanding the loads and frequency of the anticipated heavy vehicle transport. We are concerned that Vestas have not done their due diligence, or carried out sufficient research, to understand the nature of these roads, and they unsuitability for this type of transport loading.
We anticipate that the developer will receive access to our road network following negotiation with council regarding the necessary modification and upgrade of roads prior to the project starting. What is concerning, however, is the lack of commitment from the developer to make good the repairs of the road network at the completion of the project. In practical terms, how can this be enforced satisfactorily?

The images below are borrowed from other projects, but demonstrate the challenge to other road users.

Vehicle Movements

During construction, there will be 376 vehicles through Walcha on a daily basis with this increasing to 558 during peak construction.

Average Vehicle Movements

AV/B-DOUBLE

16 per hour …. 120 per day

PEAK Vehicle Movements

AV/B-DOUBLE

20 per hour …. 188 per day

Average Vehicle Movements

MRV / HRV

8 per hour …. 56 per day

PEAK Vehicle Movements

MRV / HRV

12 per hour …. 100 per day

Average Vehicle Movements

LIGHT VEHICLE

70 per hour …. 200 per day

PEAK Vehicle Movements

LIGHT VEHICLE

105 per hour …. 270 per day

Can our roads handle this much impact from this project?

Source: Traffic movements sourced from Winterbourne Winds Report to the Community Consultation Committee (CCC) meeting on Wednesday 2 February 2022

Line of Sight

Google Earth profile line from Walcha roundabout, cnr Fitzroy and Derby Street to centre of Winderbourne Wind project, with wind towers (230m high) drawn at the same vertical scale. Multiple flashing red lights at top of every tower will be visable to all of Walcha township all night. While this line of sight is to some of the farthest turbines of the project, there are turbines located as close as 6.5km to the central roundabout in Walcha. Elevation at roundabout is 1047m, elevation at project area av. 1250m. Tower height 230m at blade tip. This is not a visual trick.

Can our roads handle this much impact from this project?

Source: Winterbourne Wind Farm Stage 1 Scoping report

Aviation

The area of the proposed wind farms, including the Winterbourne wind farm which is on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range.

The area of the proposed wind farms, including the Winterbourne wind farm which is on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range. This terrain is in the range of 4,000 – 4,500 feet above sea level. Further proposed developments include country that is slightly higher above sea level. Due to the height above sea level and the proximity to the east coast this country often has low level cloud down to 500 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) and less. Due to the elevation of the country and the size of the wind farm it could be a fatal trap to an aviator trying to get over the Great Dividing Range due to the extreme height and the number of turbines that will blanket the ridge lines. Allowing for the height of the turbines plus 500 feet of clearance required, the lowest safe altitude to fly over the turbines, tracking east would be 7,500 feet Above Sea Level (ASL) and tracking west would be 6,500 feet ASL.

For pilots, flying visually, a lot of the time they could not fly over these heights as mentioned because of low level cloud that hangs on the ranges. This can be relevant for days and sometimes weeks on the eastern side of the Divide. This could also be relevant for emergency services if there is a need to “let down” through cloud to land. E.g. patient retrieval. This persistent low level cloud would make low level flying extremely dangerous through these wind farm areas. This dangerous situation would apply to General Aviation, Agricultural aviation for the application of fertilizer or chemicals, Emergency services, e.g. patient retrieval and aerial firefighting. Aerial firefighting downwind of a fire I would consider to be unviable. The whole wind farm project, in relation to aviation should be looked at as a whole, the more turbines built the more detrimental it will be for the safe operation of low level flight.

Walcha is known as The Pasture Wonderland. A lot of this has been brought about by the aerial application of fertilizer. In its heyday there used to be 150 agricultural airstips, this now is somewhat reduced. During a wet season a lot of the country can only be fertilized by air.

Wind turbines will be mostly along ridge lines for obvious reasons, which will make it almost impossible to spread fertilizer by air, as they are 750 feet or 260 metres (approximately) high. Normal spreading height for fertilizer is between 100 and 150 feet above the terrain. Because the turbines are along hills, there is rarely the option of spreading by ground. If the aeroplane can climb high enough, how would the turbines feel about having granulated fertilizer with possible lumps, spread over them, as well as the obvious problem of highly corrosive dust? Wind farms will make aerial spraying virtually impossible. Spreading above the turbines would also be a very expensive exercise because of the height the aircraft would have to climb to be above the turbine blade height.

Applying fertilizer downwind of these turbines at 100 -150 feet could also create dangers due to turbulence.

Downwind turbulence could also affect ground spraying of chemicals and unwanted drift of chemicals.

If the whole proposed Walcha wind farm is built the Walcha Aerodrome which is now equipped for aerial firefighting would be too dangerous to access for aerial firefighting due the low visibility because of smoke around the adjacent very high wind turbines. Bushfires can create their own turbulence which will be made even worse by adjacent wind turbine turbulence.

The planning authority may seek advice from the Civil Aviation Services of Australia (CASA) on the risk to aviation created by the proposed development if a risk has been identified. I consider there are enough grounds to state there IS a risk to aviation.

POINTS RELATING TO AVIATION AS IN CASA Advisory Circular AC 139.E-05 V1.1.

2.4.2.1 “Has the developer engaged an aviation consultant to conduct an aeronautical study to determine if the proposed development will create a risk to aviation safety. “

2.4.2.2 “The aeronautical study should assess the impact of the wind farm on any aviation activity which includes low level activities that may include fire spotting, fire fighting, aerial agricultural activities and operators of general aviation aircraft in the area including uncertified aerodromes or landing areas used by the local community.”

2.4 .2.4 States “the cumulative effect of other wind farms in close proximity to a new wind farm development should also be considered.” This means that if a development is carried out piece by piece (which the proposed Walcha wind farm Complex is) then the whole development as a whole should be considered as to the effects on aviation activities.

CASA Assessment of Aeronautical Studies

Has CASA carried out an assessment in regard to the Walcha Complex on the stated following 2.4.4.2

location height and number of the wind turbines/monitoring masts/tall structures.
terrain in the vicinity of the development.
volume and type of flying operations in the vicinity of the development.
proximity of aerodromes.
urban (built up area) or rural setting.
potential for wind turbine turbulence effects.
ability to see the development in low visibility conditions.
prevailing local weather conditions.
inclusion of light management systems in the proposal – radar detection or visibility monitoring
International best practice.

Compiled by Charles Koebel General Aviation Pilot

Some community concerns for this project are ...

Local road and transport issues

This project will cause impacts to local traffic and transport. If not properly dealt with in the EIS, this will end up being paid for by the ratepayer. At best, it will lead to extensive roadworks, further burdening traffic and transport.

Will also see significant road congestion from light vehicle movements at start and end of day, and heavy vehicles on main roads.

An example of congestion and blockages on the Bendemeer to Walcha road, with 90m long trucks (blades) 6m wide trucks (tower sections) blocking sections of road from traffic while travelling. Vestas have informed Voice for Walcha in a meeting that this trip could take 2 hours to complete, with sections of the road closed for long periods while extra long trucks carrying turbine blades negotiate bends and bridges.

High Voltage Powerlines

... in the region, both connecting project to main line, and additional main lines, impacting on visual amenity for the community, and landholders.

Noise from Wind Turbines

... in our audible range for 1.5km, and further for effects of infrasound. Infrasound has had many recorded impacts on human and animal health, but very little scientific research has been commissioned to clarify this effect.

Availability and cost of resources and services

... during development, as the developer monopolises demand for services and materials. The availability of gravel, and other resources, as well as services such as earthmoving, trucks, trades and labour will all be affected.

Has the supply of water been investigated properly?

Will this come at a cost to council and ratepayers From the meeting with Vestas 29th September 2022, we highlight that they estimate the requirement for 1.8ML of water per turbine, which they will have to either gain from drilling bores (as yet completely unplanned and un-prospected), or they will have to cart this water in. Calculating that 1.8ML = 72 trucks carrying 25,000L of water, for EACH turbine, or 220ML total. Over 8,500 semi-truck loads of water will be required for the Winterbourne Wind project. If a cattle property was running 500hd of beef cattle breeders, watering cattle though troughs, this would be enough water to last 40 years. If a bore is drilled successfully, this is an enormous amount of water to be dragged out of our aquifer system, affecting groundwater flows and future supply.

End of life de-commissioning plan from developer

There is no bond included in the proposal, so a corporation with no asset value can walk away without fulfilling this obligation. We are told that there is commitment, but if there is an ability for an overseas company to deplete itself of financial reserves, the logical next step is to walk away from a large financial commitment. The Winterbourne Wind project has changed hands three times already, and we haven’t even sighted an EIS. Who will be carrying the can at the end of the life of the project?

Waste

Un-recyclable blades requiring landfill burial at end of life of project. Will this occur at Walcha, creating new landfill sites? Or will it occur elsewhere, requiring excessive and additional transport demands on our local roads, which is unlikely to be included in the transport reports, and the agreements with council for road repairs.

What about the impact of project waste? Where is rubbish and waste from the workforce going to be deposited? Where is material waste from the project going to be deposited? Is this noted in the EIS?

Transparency and community engagement

... of developer and lack of community awareness of project(s). It is an absolute requirement and expectation that the developer engages with the community early and fully. It is completely apparent that this has not been the case, and that many in the community are only now becoming aware of the shape and scale of this project. The decision of the developer to have invitational drop in sessions, rather than community wide forums, has had a very limiting impact on the general awareness of their planned activity. The developer has done the absolute minimum that they feel is necessary, and we argue that they have missed the target by a long way. Regardless of their claims, it is a fact that the vast majority of the community has not been informed adequately by the developer.

Not to mention the division of community and neighbourly relationships.

Impact of transient workforce on the community dynamic

Specifically ... increased cost of long term housing, with many vulnerable renters being forced from affordable rent to skyrocketing rental costs.

Pressure on short term accommodation. As a workforce moves into the area, the limited supply of short term accommodation (Motels, hotels, B&B etc) will be swamped by this demand. Events such as weddings, race meetings, sporting events, festivals and tourism events will be impacted by the lack of accommodation options.

Pressure on health services and child care will increase as a temporary workforce places demands on these services.

Trades will be monopolised by a developers demands, leaving local community members short of options.

Community Fund

This fund designed by developer is estimated to contribute $0.5M to the community annually. Given that this project is estimated to generate around $150 million of revenue annually, (based on a conservative Power Purchase agreement in the $70/kW range) this seems an insignificant contribution to be making to a community that is absorbing significant negative impacts from the project. PPA agreements are likely to be well north of $70/kW.

Impacts on ...

Aboriginal community and heritage sites

Flora and fauna through construction process and follow up maintenance traffic.

Our agricultural industry – loss of access to agricultural land though construction exclusion, access roads and site areas. Impact on ability to make use of aerial services, including chemical spraying and spreading of fertilizer.

Fire risk!

The impact on our ability to fight fires in the gorge country with planes/helicopters with CASA indicating to avoid areas with wind turbine constructions.

Impact on local wind pattens and weather

“As the blades of the turbines turn to generate electricity, it also has inadvertent consequences. It creates a disturbance in the air that can have far-reaching effects on the environment. The turbulence created by wind turbines is known to warm up the surface temperature at night and cool it down during the day. The warming can raise the temperature by up to 2.7℉ and cool it down by up to 0.7℉. The speed of the wind is affected by a wind farm. As the wind hits the turbines, it transfers its energy to the turbines producing electricity. However, this robs the wind of energy and speed. However, the wind picks up speed once it passes the wind farm. This slowing and accelerating of wind can negatively impact the precipitation in the region.”

Link to other negative effects are discussed here (managed by a renewable energy product supplier)

Some community concerns for this project are ...

Road congestion and transport issues

We will see significant road congestion from light vehicle movements at start and end of day, and heavy vehicles on main roads throughout the day..

As an example, road users will encounter congestion and blockages on the Bendemeer to Walcha Road, with 90m long trucks (blades) 6m wide trucks (tower sections) blocking sections of road from traffic while travelling. Vestas have informed Voice for Walcha in a recent meeting that this trip could take 2 hours to complete, with sections of the road closed for long periods while extra-long trucks carrying turbine blades negotiate bends and bridges. It is expected that oversized trucks carrying 6m diameter tower sections will require 2 lanes to travel, further blocking sections of road for unknown periods of time.

Damage to road pavement

This project will cause impacts to local roads, that are simply not designed for ultra heavy vehicles.

If not properly dealt with in the EIS, this will end up being paid for by the ratepayer.

At best, if the developer adequately deals with cost of road repair, it will lead to extensive roadworks, further burdening local traffic and transport.

Despite our local council having some control over access to roads, and therefore some negotiating power over road upgrades, what happens at the end of the project, when we have no negotiating power to hold the developer to account, when road repair is required?

High Voltage Powerlines

... in the region, both connecting project to main line, and additional main lines, impacting on visual amenity for the community, and landholders.

The powerlines follow the project. If there is no project, there is no requirement for powerlines to travel thrugh the Walcha district.

Noise from Wind Turbines

Availability and cost of resources and services

Has the supply of water been investigated properly?

End of life de-commissioning plan from developer

Waste

Transparency and community engagement

Impact of transient workforce on the community dynamic

Community Fund

Impacts on ...

Fire risk!

The impact on our ability to fight fires in the gorge country with planes/helicopters with CASA indicating to avoid areas with wind turbine constructions.
During recent fire events, being able to fight fires at the rim of the gorge with aerial services was critical to saving homes, livestock and pastures, and more. The very presence of wind turbines threatens the ability to fight fires with aerial services, as advised by CASA.
This will be the case for 30 - 60 years if this project proceeds.

Impact on local wind pattens and weather

Link to other negative effects are discussed here (managed by a renewable energy product supplier)

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