Following a six-month investigation, findings from a parliamentary inquiry into rural wind farms were released last week, which included recommending more community consultation on developments and a two-kilometre setback from dwellings.
The General Purpose Standing Committee made 21 recommendations including research into compensation options for affected residents, the consideration of local government development control plans, noise modelling and the so-called ‘van den berg effect’ from low frequency noise; publication of information by the developers within the local community, proving the certainty for wind farm decommissioning, increasing the period of public exhibition from 30 to 90 days and making the department responsible for noise monitoring and complaints.
Chairperson Greens MLC Ian Cohen said wind power was a proven technology to help reduce greenhouse gas. However, he said the development of wind farms needed to include all stakeholders.
“Local communities feel disenfranchised and uncertain about what they can expect from a wind farm development,” he said.
“Local communities have expressed a particular concern that the current community consultation process for wind farms is not adequate.”
Glen Innes Landscape Guardian member Ashley Peake said the recommendation of a 2km setback was another vindication of his group’s position.
“It’s a real tragedy that the (former planning) minister didn’t await this report prior to her decision (to approve the Glen Innes Wind Farm earlier this month).”
However three committee members produced a dissenting statement disagreeing with a blanket 2km setback.
It described a 2km setback as being “unreasonable and unfair”, stating the setback distance required to achieve compliance with noise performance criteria was significantly less than 2km; a blanket setback of 2km would “unnecessarily sterilise significant areas of the state from wind farm development”, and said a setback would also be inconsistent with several council development control plans which had setbacks of less than 2km.
“We consider the existing merit-based approach used in NSW superior to the proposed 2km setback on every consideration including cost, efficiency, scientific rigour, practicality and sustainability,” the three Labor MLCs wrote.
Frank Boland of Infigen Energy said Glen Innes Windpower was aware of the recommendations of the NSW Parliamentary inquiry.
“We differ with a number of them including the 2km setback recommendation - which we note was also not supported by the Government senators (sic) on the committee.”
The Glen Innes Wind Farm was approved in October, before the Parliamentary Inquiry finished.
Mayor Steve Toms said overall he was impressed by what the committee came up with. He said the recommendations were relevant and reflected an independent view based on public consultation and technical advice..
“The recommendations encourage developers to have more interaction with the community which is a good thing to be encouraged,” he said.
Although there is no obligation for the government to accept or enact the findings of the inquiry, the committee has requested a response from the government by June next year.
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