Thank you to everyone who is working on their Objecting Submissions to Hills of Gold Wind Farm Amended Development Application.
It's going to be a busy week ahead as Hills of Gold Preservation Inc hosts a Public Meeting at 5.30pm on Tuesday, December 6th, 2022 at Nundle Memorial Hall, a week before the Public Exhibition Submission Deadline.
If you are looking for ideas about what to write please call into our pop-up office in the Nundle Guitars Shop on Jenkins Street. We have printed copies of the Amended DA (also available at the Nundle Library), large print outs of proposed key transport options, and a topographic map with wind turbines and infrastructure plotted. It is a really great way to gain an understanding about the potential impacts of the proposal.
If you are confident making a submission online the link is Department of Planning and Environment's Major Projects Portal. Otherwise we have printed cover and submission sheets available for handwriting submissions.
If you would like some pointers on possible key issues for your submission here are some ideas:
BIODIVERSITY
- It is unacceptable to disturb 447 hectares of vegetation, including 46.2 ha of koala habitat.
- Removal of WTG 41 and minor movement of 19 WTGs does not remove the barrier effect to birds and bats returning to home roosts between the project area and Ben Halls Gap Nature Reserve.
- Aerial firefighting around wind turbines remains seriously compromised, being at pilots' discretion, the most reliable and highest water source and landing area unavailable due to siting of infrastructure.
TRANSPORT
- No viable transport route to the project area due to steep topography, lifestyle properties, tourism, lack of landholder permissions, and undetermined First Nations land claim.
- Unacceptable impacts to residential and business areas of Nundle, Hanging Rock, Crawney and Timor.
- Volume of street and roadside tree and soil removal not transparent.
- Disruption to movement in and around Nundle, Hanging Rock, Crawney and Timor from construction of up to eight new bridges between the New England Highway and the project area, construction of a private road behind The Peel Inn, No Parking exclusion zones on left lanes of Oakenville and Jenkins St during blade deliveries, 311 additional daily vehicle movements (including 156 daily truck movements - 101 trucks through Hanging Rock village), and six daily Oversize Overmass vehicle movements for nine months.
VISUAL
- CASA requires two red steady lights for 28 turbines (56 obstacle lights total), polluting our dark night sky.
- Proponent does not provide photomontages of impact of cut and fill for wind farm infrastructure, reshaping the profile of the range.
HERITAGE
- Proponent does not assess the potential impact of wind farm and transport impacts on the curtillage of Nundle heritage listed buildings.
- Proponent does not address impacts to Bicentennial National Trail across Crawney Pass.
CHARACTER
- Proponent does not acknowledge impacts of constructing or operating wind farm infrastructure to residences and businesses, including The DAG Sheep Station wedding and country music venue, Crawney Pass National Park, Teamsters Rest Recreation Area, Sheba Dams, Riverside Park, and Nundle Sport and Recreation Ground.
There are many more points to cover, but this is a sample to encourage you to start. Keep an eye on our socials (Hills of Gold Preservation) and Save, Share, Comment and Like where possible to help spread the word.
Please talk with our executive at any time: John Krsulja, Brian Tomalin, Teresa Eather, Megan Trousdale, Natasha Soonchild, Ian Worley and Selena Sylvester.