The Shire of Augusta Margaret River must not downplay, dilute or sanitise the scale of real community opposition to the Scott River wind farm before it goes to the RDAP.

This petition calls on the Shire to clearly and honestly represent what people in Scott River, Augusta, Molloy Island, Kudardup, Karridale and across the southern half of the Shire are actually saying.

We are asking the Shire to clearly state, in its Responsible Authority Report and in any presentation to the Regional Development Assessment Panel, that this proposal faces substantial local opposition, and to clearly set out why.

RDAP, the Regional Development Assessment Panel, may be the body that makes the final decision on this proposal. If that happens, this is the community’s last real chance to have its opposition put plainly in front of the people who will decide it.

We are not asking the Shire to sit on the fence. We are not asking for watered down planning language. We are asking the Shire to tell the truth.

This is a major industrial proposal in the wrong place, with real consequences for neighbours, landholders, local character and the environment.

Too often, by the time proposals like this reach decision makers, the lived reality of local communities has been buried under planning jargon, softened by staff summaries, or dressed up to sound more acceptable than it really is.

That must not happen here.

We are asking the Shire to put on the record, plainly and without spin, that there is substantial opposition to the Scott River wind farm, and that this opposition is grounded in serious concerns including:

• industrialisation of the landscape
• impacts on non-host landholders and nearby residents
• noise, shadow flicker and visual bulk
• bushfire and emergency response risk
• biodiversity, wetland and hydrology impacts
• neighbouring land and local communities being treated as buffers for a private development outcome

The Shire should not present this proposal as having broad community support if that support does not exist.

It should not dilute, blur or soften the scale of local opposition.

It should tell the RDAP clearly that many people in Scott River, Augusta, Molloy Island, Kudardup and Karridale oppose this proposal and expect that opposition to be put honestly, plainly and without spin before any decision is made.

Sign this petition if you want the Shire to stop softening the truth and start representing the community properly.

Note: This petition is part of a push to secure 300 signatures from Shire of Augusta Margaret River electors and eligible ratepayers to trigger a Special Meeting of Electors. At that meeting, we intend to formally call on the Shire to clearly and honestly represent community opposition to the Scott River wind farm before the RDAP considers the proposal.

Important Please Read: If you are an eligible elector or ratepayer in the Shire of Augusta Margaret River, please also email savethescottriver@gmail.com confirming your full name, your address, that you are an eligible elector or ratepayer, and that you give permission for your details to be used to help call a Special Meeting of Electors on the Scott River wind farm proposal. Your details will only be used for this purpose.

Important: Please do not donate to this petition. We do not receive any of those funds.