Further FAQ’s will be answered as they come in. If you have a question you would like to ask, contact us.
If the community petition is not going to help stop the wind farm why did you do it?
This is one of those incredibly long shots that are always worth trying but only have a small chance at success. Acciona have not yet requested an EES, and as such have not started to spend incredible amounts of money. We have inundated them with unprecedented questions, and if we also show them that there is large community support fighting them, it may, just may, make them consider another location.
What happens after the EES is completed?
The information I have been given from the Planning Manager of the Planning Department, is that the EES will be made public and then an inquiry will be held. It will be a few people sitting as a panel, and then anyone who wants to can stand up and voice their objections. (It will look similar to a court setting) Once that is complete, the panel will compile a report for the Minister so that she can make the decision as to whether or not she will approve the project to go ahead.
What is an EES – Environment Effects Statement
The EES is a tool that the Minister uses to ensure that all aspects of the project have been looked into and accommodations made. In this case Environment is not just looking at flora and fauna etc, it also looks at community, noise, overlays such as bush fire and cultural, and of course existing infrastructure such as the airport.
For example with the airport, if they can not meet the CASA standards, to comply with the EES they may move some turbines so that the airport is no longer impacted.
If the EES is approved what happens then?
From what the manager of the Planning Department told me, at the same time the EES is submitted the Application for a planning permit can also be submitted. Again, the application becomes public and then anyone who would like to object can send in a submission (objection). There will be 30 days to do this. The planning department will most likely be ready with their report for the Minister, by the time the inquiry etc has been completed. The Minister will then make the decision on whether to approve the planning permit or not.
Why are we advocating for a more appropriate location rather than no wind farms at all?
There are two trains of thought regarding the best way of stopping the Tall Tree Wind Farm (TTWF), and I freely accept everyone’s right to support the way they see is best.
The Tall Tree Action Group are putting their efforts into relocation of the TTWF because we believe that stopping all Wind Farms is not a feasible notion. For more information, see below.
We are not advocating to move turbines around in the current area, or to dump the wind farm on another unsuspecting community. GPS is a very large area with many open spaces that run adjacent to or close to existing transmission lines.
We are suggesting to Acciona that prior to them spending extremely large amounts of money and time, working on the project in the currently proposed site, that they investigate some of the other more suitable sites that do not impact communities at all.
In an environment where both Federal and State governments are pushing for renewable energy almost at the expense of everything else, we believe taking a hard line stance on the validity of wind farms could well be more detrimental to the cause, than beneficial.
More information and snippets of Government media releases
The Federal Government made a legal commitment to reach a target of 82% renewable energy by 2030 (a reduction in Carbon Emissions by 43%) and Net Zero by 2050, by signing the International Treaty raised under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
The ISP shows that by 2050 we need more than:
- 10,000 km of new transmission lines
- 9 times the large-scale renewable energy generation we currently have.
12/08/2022 – National Energy Transformation Partnership – Australian governments will work together to maximise the economic opportunities of the clean energy transformation, ensure reliable and affordable electricity, and deliver the greatest benefits for Australian households, businesses and communities.
10/05/2024 – The Albanese Government can today announce a big boost to renewables in Victoria and Tasmania, with a combined 1.7GW piece of the 6GW pie in Australia’s largest ever tender for renewable energy opening this month.
Quote attributable to Minister D’Ambrosio (Energy and Resources Victoria) –
“Victoria has done the heavy lifting to drive more cheap renewables into the grid, it’s great to have the Commonwealth Government on board to help us build even more renewable energy projects and deliver cheap and reliable power to homes and businesses across Victoria.
“We have an ambitious climate action agenda with a target of 95 per cent renewables by 2035 – to achieve this we must partner with industry to provide necessary confidence and leverage the huge amounts of private investment required.”
14/05/2024 – The Albanese Government is strengthening action and engagement on climate through key partnerships, and reforms:
· $48.0 million for continued reform of the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme to support the continued and critical integrity of the ‘net’ in net zero emissions, and improving job opportunities and First Nations participation.
· $76.6 million for continued engagement with our Pacific and international partners on the climate and energy transition, including through organisations like the UNFCCC, G20 and IEA, and ensuring the voice of the Pacific family on the existential and security threat of climate change for our region is heard through our bid to host COP31.