Turbines generate controversy

Turbines cause controversy

OVER the last two years the Cooranga North community has been divided by a battle over a proposal by Australia's biggest energy company to develop local land into Queensland's largest wind farm.

For several years AGL Energy has been in the process of developing a wind farm proposed to contain 115 wind turbines on Cooranga North farm land.

Spokesman for the Cooranga North Concerned Citizens Group, which is against the development of the wind farm in its current proposal, Bryan Lyons, hopes the project does not go further than the drawing board for multiple reasons.

"The NSW government guidelines for the development of wind farms is proposing a set-back distance of two kilometres, the Victorian government has imposed a setback distance of two kilometres for the development of wind farms, however AGL are proposing turbines as close as 1.4km from ours and several other houses in this area," he said.

"Acoustic Consultants have tested our house and advised us that will result in approximately 38 decibels of noise inside our houses."

Queensland Noise set the indoor maximum night time criteria at 30 decibels.

An AGL Energy spokesperson said the Coopers Gap wind farm in its current proposal would follow South Australian guidelines.

"As there are no wind farm noise guidelines currently in operation in Queensland, AGL propose to follow South Australian wind farm noise guidelines, which are the most comprehensive wind farm noise guidelines in Australia."

"Our community is very concerned that our health will be affected by this proposal," Mr Lyons said.

A spokesperson for Queensland Health said the department followed the National Health and Medical Research Council's guidelines with enforcing legislation on wind farms.

The NHMRC released a statement in 2010 that outlined no adverse health effects were caused from close proximity to turbines.

Coopers Gap Wind Powers Supporters member Ian Schafferius said he wouldn't make any decisions that could harm his family or his neighbours' wellbeing.

"My family has been on this land for three generations so I haven't made any decisions that I think could have even the slightest chance of driving my family away from it, stop us from living here or affecting our enterprise," Mr Schafferius said.

"We run a cattle and horse business here so we need to be hands on and living on the property."

Mr Schafferius, who has been approached to host nine of the proposed 115 turbines, said the wind farm's benefits had to be looked at.

"The green energy side of it is a big plus. No coal mining and no pollution and we can still carry on the same without having the land all ripped up," he said.

"When it does come there will be a lot more jobs in the local area and that will be a big plus for the community."

Ten land owners around Cooranga North have agreed to have their properties developed for which they will pocket $8000 a year per turbine.

Mr Lyons hoped governments at all levels considered his group's side before passing legislation on AGL Energy's current proposal.

"For any level of government to allow this project to proceed without providing our community the standard protection of the Queensland Noise Policy would be unthinkable," Mr Lyons said.

"AGL and the turbine hosts have a duty of care to the Cooranga North community and by not planning the proposed wind farm in accordance with the Environmental Protection (Noise) Policy 2008 we feel they are not fulfilling their duty of care."

South Burnett Regional Council's general manager for planning and environment Stan Taylor could not be reached for comment.

AGL Energy said, providing regulatory approvals were granted and market conditions were favourable, the company expected construction of the proposed Coopers Gap wind farm to commence in early 2015.

Originally published as Turbines generate controversy