For the past five weeks, television reception has been patchy or lost altogether, says resident Terry Bennett.

 It has coincided with testing at the Taralga Wind Farm where some 30 of the 51 turbines, each standing 131 metres high, have been built.

 Mr Bennett said some people had lost channels such as the ABC for good.

 “It started getting worse a week before Christmas and now everyone is complaining,” he told the Post.

 A petition has also been taken up and representation made to Goulburn MP and Planning Minister, Pru Goward.

 The company initially denied it was to blame and referred people to the Australian Broadcasting Authority, Mr Bennett said.

 But following more complaints it decided to investigate.

 Since then the company has apologised for any inconvenience, via its website, but stated that the problem could have been exacerbated by the ‘restacking’ of channels in late 2014 to operate on different frequencies.

 Nevertheless, it has pledged Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) systems for all affected homes within a predicted ‘interference’ shadow of the wind farm. These provide free-to-air digital television reception to viewers not able to receive it through a normal antenna. The company is also supplying a satellite dish and set-top box required to access the VAST service.

 Twelve systems were installed over the long weekend. People had since reported significantly improved reception, the company reported.

 That’s all well and good for Mr Bennett but there’s one hitch. The proponents are only supplying one satellite and set top box, the latter costing $400 per household.

 “Some people only have one TV and that’s fine but most people I know around town have two or three,” Mr Bennett said.

 “They’ve said they won’t pay for extra set-top-boxes and that’s not on. Why should people have their lifestyles taken away?... It’s like having five cars in the driveway but four of them only having three wheels. What’s the point?” He pointed out that when the Gullen Range Wind Farm at Crookwell affected television reception, residents received satellites, set top boxes and the company installed a repeater station to overcome gaps.

 Taralga wind farm’s 2009 consent conditions state that the applicant “must undertake reasonable and feasible mitigation measures to rectify any television transmission problems reasonably attributable to the development, including but not limited to installation and maintenance of a parasitic antenna system; provision of a landline between the affected receiver and an antenna located in areas of favourable reception; or other feasible measures.”

Mr Bennett said a receiver installed on the hills above Taralga would help but a technician had advised him this could take up to six months and might only work for half the town.

 He has approached Ms Goward who has undertaken to investigate the company’s obligations.

 Upper Lachlan Shire Council general manager John Bell said the NSW Department of Planning and not Council was the consent authority.

 “(But) we’ve certainly gone in to bat for the Crookwell community and we’ll do the same for Taralga,” he said.

 “We are urging them to get information out to the community. If the wind farm is affecting television reception then it’s up to them to fix it.”

The wind farm’s consultative committee will discuss the matter at a meeting on Wednesday.