1. Meeting With Energy Corporation
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We met with Energy Co on the 13th July, and along with other landholders, conveyed some important messaging. We also heard an important message in return.
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2. Why we need to step up.
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Speak now or forever host transmission lines in your area. Our community needs to be comfortable talking about what they expect Walcha to look like in 20 years, and to feel comfortable taking a position. Be brave, and act.
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3. Message to Ruby Hills Host Landholders
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You have the power. More than you realise.
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- worthwhile questions to ask
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You are invited to attend as we argue that the Oxley Hwy is simply not capable of supporting large scale project traffic, in it's current form, without seriously harming our community, our services and our local economy.
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1. Meeting With Energy Corporation
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Voice for Walcha, and a growing committee, met with Energy Co on the 13th July to present questions and to represent community concerns.
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Message points communicated to Energy Co;
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Walcha Energy, and Wind farm developments in the Walcha LGA, have very little support from the community, based on;
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- The expected harm that will be impacted onto local commerce, (agriculture, tourism, freight and transport)
- Pressure that will be onto our local roads that are not suited for heavy project traffic and development (congestion as well as road damage).
- Social impact of a large workforce on town services such as accommodation, rental supply, health services etc.
- Heavy impact on biodiversity, in an ecologically important area against National Park and the Gondwana Wilderness Area.
- Serious negative impacts on the Agricultural industry, in an area that is arguably one of the most important livestock grazing areas of NSW. These impacts occur largely through construction phase, but also during operation, with impact on aerial spreading services being notable, as well as time critical transport to market, and transport of product to farm.
- We are concerned that locating a substation 5lm East of Walcha Road, (the Central South hub), has been located based on spurious ambitions from Walcha Energy, with heavy lobbying for its placement, and no other genuine reason. If a hub is located in that area, it will attract more developers to Walcha. Projects will follow this infrastructure. Early intervention is vital.
- This hub is being based around a project that is not even in the planning portal at this stage, and already has many questions around its viability.
- Currently, the main "bulk line" runs from Bayswater to Brisbane. It makes more sense for any new projects to follow this existing line. The Energy CO proposal is to split from the existing corridor at Tamworth, with one path to travel through the Walcha LGA and then re-join the existing corridor at Kentucky. This has been based on a representation of interest from an inexperienced and overly ambitious local developer, to the detriment of the wider community of Walcha.
- We are seriously concerned about Energy Co's inability to define "Social Licence" when repeatedly asked. They simply won't. This is a core principle in their governance and a statement that is continuously made in public. Is there an obvious reason - is it that they don't want to empower the community with any criteria from which to offer judgement on poor development approvals? In other words, it's the social licence you have when you have no social licence. Obviously, it's a false and misleading premise.
- The basis of need for transmission infrastructure has been inaccurately described and heavily lobbied by Walcha Energy, a developer with no experience and no local social license, (or general support). They have no capital backing, and no intent to carry the project forward, but simply interested in flipping the project to the next developer. Walcha Energy has overstated the area's ability to host renewable infrastructure when lobbying to Energy Co. There is rapidly growing doubt, even within the project area, of the willingness to participate in the projects. Energy Co are telling us that this message is growing. We need it to be unambiguous.
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Energy Co has acknowledged that developer interest has invited the powerlines. They know the developer is keen to install 4000MW in the area, (equivalent to over 5 x Winterbourne projects) but they don't know the following;
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- Will they achieve commitment from the landholders?
- Do Walcha Energy have community support? (We believe very little, but this needs to be demonstrated.)
- Is the project likely to proceed, given the above questions? (We believe not, and to base a transmission project around this premise would be a white elephant, and a trainwreck for our community).
- Walcha Energy has NO experience with renewable developments.
- Walcha Energy has NO intention to retain ownership of Ruby Hills beyond scoping, (they are a project flipper) as noted in a recent council presentation by Walcha Energy.
- Walcha Energy has NO capital backing - with no active history in the industry that they have been able to demonstrate.
- Walcha is not an appropriate area for large scale wind projects because project traffic would block Oxley Hwy and Thunderbolts Way which would impact existing industries and businesses, as well as community movement, services and safety.
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We really need everyone in the community to write to Energy Co (and Minister Penny Sharp if you can) to make it clear that the Walcha Plateau is NOT suitable for large scale renewable projects as they have been proposed, or transmission lines through our area. Make this objection CLEAR in the first line of your letter. Refer to any of the points above that relate to your concerns.
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If you are happy to, please copy in us@voiceforwalcha.com so that we are aware of the correspondence sent.
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2. Walcha community - Why we need to step up
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It's time to show courage and to be clear about what we want for our community.
Act NOW for what we want to see for Walcha for generations into the future.
If you want to protect our landscape, protect our community values, and resist the influx of turbines and transmission lines to our area, you need to speak up, inform Energy Co, and make it clear to the developer, our council, and Minister Penny Sharp.
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Silence will be interpreted as compliance and will result in a green light to industrial development.
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EnergyCo need to know that the community does not support these projects or the transmission lines that are coming to our LGA to support them. The only reason these massive double powerlines are coming to Walcha is because a developer has said there will be numerous large scale wind farms developed in our council area.
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Voice for Walcha needs the community to know that while we can work as hard as we can behind the scenes, without community messaging, our effect is diminished. We need help, and we need local conversation.
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3. Contact Details for Correspondence
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Energy Co, and Penny Sharp, need to hear from our community to fill the information gaps above and to inform them of the concerns from within the community. We, and the Walcha community, thank you for your help..
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4. Ruby Hills Host Landholders
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If you host a project, you by default, invite the transmission lines - to your neighbours and to your own land.
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The Walcha Energy business model is to bundle contracts together, and then flip them to the nearest developer. They are not interested in the future success or failure, nor the impacts, of the project. They have also been lobbying Energy Co to build transmission lines in the Walcha LGA to support this development. Energy Co will not construct these powerlines in the Walcha LGA, unless they see a need. The need for the powerlines will only occur when landholders give their consent, through lease contracts. Energy Co do not need consent, as this is "infrastructure of national importance" and compulsory acquisition will be the final option, if needed.
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However, a developer does need consent. They need land tenure through a lease agreement.
As a landholder, you have the power to shape the future of the Walcha landscape and community.
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5. Wind Project Land Hosts
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Worthwhile questions to ask before commitment to a lease
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This is really just a starter; we have more valid concerns for landholders around legalities and capital risk.
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- Why put at risk (A) the capital valuation of your property, for (B) the sake of turbine income for 20 years? Arguably, B does not equal A, especially considering the value of time. Careful analysis is warranted.
- Will your kids thank you in 25 years time, if decommissioning is a genuine risk? This is proving to be more and more of a reality, even with a "watertight" agreement.
- Do you know that decommissioning costs, if the project is abandoned, may well exceed accumulated income from the turbines? (as advised by various analysists) > Click to learn more
In section 2.2, we learn that the cost in 2014 to decommission a mid-size (4GW) Wind Generation tower is $380,000. Inflation at 3% brings that to $510,000 today, and more again for a 6.2MW Tower.
- Will an incoming purchaser consider making an offer for a property covered in turbines and a transmission corridor? At the very least, what does the pub test say about your property valuation?
- Do you know your plans for the next 20 years well enough to rule out the option of flexibility?
- Have you spoken to the bank about how they handle mortgage rights on your property if there is a renewable project lease over it? What will this mean for an incoming purchaser if the bank is unable to enforce mortgage rights - will they even entertain the idea of taking that risk by agreeing to a mortgage?
- Have you considered the management of your livestock business while 2 years of project construction is taking place, (constant traffic - heavy and light, gates being left open, paddocks out of production, biosecurity risk etc?
- Are you willing to host a transmission line across your asset, and have you asked your neighbours if they are?
- Do you even know who the developer will be?
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6. Voice for Walcha upcoming
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Voice for Walcha will be presenting to Council on Wednesday the 26th July at 2:30 pm, with a view to putting a spotlight onto the Oxley highway, and its unsuitability to be used as access route for large scale renewable projects in the Walcha Area. We argue that this will result in crippling impacts on existing industries in Walcha, including agribusiness, transport, tourism, logistics as well as serious social impacts such as road safety, health services, leisure and transport to schools.
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We want the council to identify what infrastructure upgrades are required, to enable new renewable energy projects to co-exist with our existing mix of industries.
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The scope of this road network upgrade must be established, and completed, before we would support projects of this type and magnitude.
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The community is welcome to attend if they wish.
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We will be sharing the presentation by email for your interest, once it has been delivered.
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