The removal of one turbine is undoubtedly a genuine concession to the concerns of nearby residents. However the Minister’s claims of widespread consultation are a bit rich. According to its own website, the development application was approved on October 2 (but not posted on the internet until Tuesday), making a mockery of the ongoing Parliamentary Inquiry into wind farms. Further, if the government truly respected the views of the community - as Premier Nathan Rees in February avowed it would - the department would have at least had the courtesy to advise the council officials before the Minister sent out a released, leaving it to a journalist to inform the mayor and affected landholders.

It must be remembered that a wind farm for Glen Innes was mooted in at least 2002, long before either Glen Innes Severn Council, the Severn Shire before it, or residents felt the need to develop guidelines on such developments. (The relevance of the DCP to the Glen Innes Wind Farm which predates it, is open to debate). The landholders who entered into contracts to host turbines did so in good faith, have not done anything illegal, and have not sought to use their land for anything it is not already allowed to be used for.

In saying that, the unwillingness and/or inability of the developer’s representative (in particular) and landholders hosting the turbines, to openly discuss key concerns about the wind farm during the planning and approval process has at times made it more difficult to present a balanced debate in the media. It also does not reflect well on the developer, which appears to have largely abandoned the community to let it fight it out amongst ourselves.

The Landscape Guardians, meanwhile, have raised the profile of the important issue of residential setbacks and as such may have had an influence in shaping future wind farm developments, in northern NSW and elsewhere. And with many more wind farms to come, this contribution may be critical to industry and communities working together.