Wind Prospect: 18 members of the Ngunnawal, Indigenous community slam wind farm in explosive letter

The Ngunnawal people and wider Aboriginal community of Yass have accused a green energy company of being ‘no different to a mining company’ and ‘destroying everything’ in their path ‘for money’.

Eighteen members of the Ngunnawal and wider Indigenous community have slammed wind farm company in explosive letter

A green energy company proposing to build a giant wind farm in regional NSW has received an explosive letter from local First Nations people, saying it is “not welcome” and the project “doesn’t belong here”.

The letter, co-signed by 18 members of the Ngunnawal people and wider Aboriginal community of Yass, tells Wind Prospect it is “not different from a mining company – destroying everything in your path for money”.

“We thought the days of colonisation were finished. But once again, we are watching our land being raped – cleared, blasted, and disrespected without proper respect for Country or for our people,” the letter, sent in October, reads.

Wind Prospect, a UK-owned company, has proposed to build 90 turbines, each almost the size of Sydney’s Crown Barangaroo, between the small towns of Bowning and Binalong.

The Daily Telegraph has previously highlighted the strong opposition to this project in the Yass Valley, a region where hundreds of other turbines are either operating or in the planning phase.

Long-time sheep farming families, including Emma Webb and Glen Miller, will have giant turbines directly next door to their properties if the development is allowed to proceed.

It has also been revealed that Wind Prospect have locked in secret hosting deals with several landowners on large properties, including a man who owns a $7m house at Bellevue Hill and is a member of the exclusive Royal Sydney Golf Club.

“We were not told about this project. We only heard of it second-hand. Without that, we would not have known at all. That is deeply disrespectful. You have not consulted in a meaningful way,” the letter reads.

The map from Wind Prospect showing 90 proposed wind turbines, each measuring 260m tall, between Bowning and Binalong. Picture: Supplied

“The Earth is our mother. When you disregard her, you disregard us. When you damage her, you damage us. When the tops of the hills are blown apart and turbines are installed, the spirit of those hills is destroyed,” it continues.

According to state government First Nations guidelines for all new energy projects, proponents should “engage respectfully with local Aboriginal communities” and “respectful engagement is essential to building genuine and trusted relationships”.

“A strong understanding of the social and cultural landscape, including First Nations history and heritage, can help to foster cultural safety. This will often be a learning process where organisations listen, learn and reflect,” the advice from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water reads.

Angus Oberg and Emma Webb on their regional farm. The family could soon have wind turbines the size of Sydney’s Crown Barangaroo next door to their property. Picture: Martin Ollman

The Ngunnawal people and Aboriginal community have accused Wind Prospect of failing to follow the correct cultural protocols.

“You never came to our Elders’ Circle. No one from your project came and sat with us or asked for our guidance. You did not approach our community with respect,” they claim in their letter.

“You may not feel it, but we do. If you were Aboriginal you would know – this land tells you when you don’t belong here, and this project does not belong here. Leave this country alone.”

When approached for comment, Wind Prospect said it was “committed to engaging with the Aboriginal community in a meaningful and respectful way”.

“Wind Prospect has developed 22 projects and we have valued, long-term relationships with First Nations peoples across Australia,” the company said.

Wind turbines in the Yass Valley. Picture: Martin Ollman

“Whilst we are at a very early stage, we have been engaging with the Onerwal Local Aboriginal Land Council (OLALC) to plan on-Country visits and to ensure the project respects cultural values and local knowledge.”

A spokeswoman for the Binalong-Bowning Community Action Group, which is opposing the project, said: “Our Ngunnawal, farmers and community can’t all be wrong – the government policy that is allowing this to happen is broken.”

Originally published as Wind Prospect: 18 members of the Ngunnawal, Indigenous community slam wind farm in explosive letter