The Hills Of Gold Wind Farm planned for around Nundle has been approved by the Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek today alongside similar projects near Coolah and Gulgong.
The wind farm will consist of 62 turbines generating 372 megawatts of power, a capacity reduction from the 400-megawatt, 70-turbine initial proposal that French power company Engie initially proposed for the site after feedback and community consultation.
“Unlike the climate deniers and environmental vandals of the Liberal and National party, Labor is getting on with the job of transforming Australia into a renewable energy superpower,” Minister Plibersek said today.
So far the Government has approved a record 77 renewable energy projects, enough to power ten million homes – nearly every Australian household – according to a press release today.
“We’ve already added 15GW of renewable energy to the grid. That’s more energy capacity than Peter Dutton’s entire nuclear plan could hope to produce in 25 years.”
Minister Plibersek stresses the strict conditions placed on these approvals, including management plans for wildlife, land clearing limits, and height and location of turbines.
The wind farm has not been without controversy, with Hills Of Gold Preservation Incorporated citing potential negative environmental, tourism, and logistics impacts.
HOGPI Vice President Brian Tomalin, the Nundle RFS Senior Deputy Captain and former Nundle Grazier said “It’s very disappointing.”
“It’s pretty gut-wrenching, really, when you understand what the impacts are.
“We spend a lot of time up there, we know it pretty well, and because of the remoteness of it not many people understand it – it’s my country, up there.”
Tomalin states that the amount of rainfall that falls along the proposed sites would need constant dewatering during construction, and that the farm would ultimately affect flows into Chaffey Dam, which is Tamworth’s main water supply, as well as site stability.
“The issues which haven’t been addressed is the suitability of the site to take that development on a steep basalt escarpment which has a history of landslips.”
HOGPI has currently filed a merit appeal in the Land and Environment Court against the farm.
According to Engie, the project will generate 211 direct jobs in the construction phase, with “about 28” permanent jobs including 16 local positions once complete.
“This is what action on cost of living and climate change looks like,” Plibersek said.
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