GOULBURN Mulwaree Councillor Geoff Peterson is urging individuals, community groups and organisations to make submissions to a Federal Senate inquiry into the social and economic impacts of wind-farm installations.
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Cr Peterson said that the Leader of the Family First Party, Senator Steve Fielding, moved a Senate notice of motion on October 27 that the social and economic impacts of windfarms be referred to the Community Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by April 30 2011.
The inquiry will consider:
(a) Any adverse health effects for people living in close proximity to wind farms;
(b) Concerns over the excessive noise and vibrations emitted by wind farms, which are in close proximity to people’s homes;
(c) The impact of rural wind farms on property values, employment opportunities and farm income;
(d) The interface between Commonwealth, state and local planning laws as they pertain to wind farms; and
(e) Any other relevant matters. Submissions should be received by February 10 2011. The reporting date is April 30 2011.
Cr Peterson said the proliferation of windfarms right through the Goulburn Mulwaree, Upper Lachlan and Palerang local government areas, when combined with the number of planned installations, means that the local communities need to have an input into whether or not the installations proceed, the location if they do proceed and the community enhancement benefit considerations.
“It is simply not good enough for large energy corporations to climb into bed with governments and plonk these monstrosities all over the countryside without meaningful dialogue with local residents,” Cr Peterson said.
The latest windfarm proposed for the district – Transfield Services’ $400 million bid for 80 turbines at Collector – is five times the size of the Cullerin project. Collector district locals said at a community meeting last month:
“There’s anger, real anger about it.”
The Community Affairs References Committee is seeking written submissions from interested individuals and organisations preferably in electronic form submitted online or sent by email to community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au as an attached Adobe PDF or MS Word format document.
The email must include full postal address and contact details. Alternatively, written submissions may be sent to: Department of the Senate, PO Box 6100, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600.
