Newfield wind farm questions answered

Cobden Times
Wednesday 13/12/2006 Page: 8

Locals' questions about the Newfield wind farm were sent off to Acciona Energy, Auswind and Coastal Guardians representatives, It was planned to publish all groups' responses In one forum. However, unfortunately Coastal Guardians did not respond. The Cobden Times will continue to seek a response from the group for publication in the near future.

Q: The wind fault turbines are visible from the Great Ocean Road, an environmentally sensitive area. So why was the site selected?
A: The proposed site of the wind farm is 8kms inland from Port Campbell at Newfield next to the existing gas plants. The site is not on the coast, but has a good wind resource and a connection to the electricity network. Acciona Energy commissioned specialist consultants in video animation of wind farms to prepare a realistic simulation to determine what would be seen from the Great Ocean Road. As seen in the video, the 15km drive from just past the 12 Apostles car park into Port Campbell takes approximately 12 minutes when travelling at the speed limit. On this drive the wind farm would be seen in the distance at three separate times for approximately 30-60 seconds each time. The rest of the time the view to the wind farm is shielded by the terrain and roadside vegetation. The conclusion of the independent expert who undertook the landscape and visual assessment was that the impact of the proposal on the Great Ocean Road was low I insignificant.

Q: Does the noise of the wind turbines travel and if so (a) how for, (b) does the surrounding landscape and/or wind direction have an impact on this?
A: Wind turbines produce some aerodynamic noise as the blades move through the air, which is like a `swooshing' sound. The surrounding environment, wind speed and wind direction can affect how much noise is heard. Existing background noise at a residence, can 'mask' (be louder) than the noise of a wind turbine. For example, on a residence with trees around it, the background noise of the wind in the trees can mask any noise from the wind turbines. The planning requirements for Victoria sets a standard that requires noise levels at residential dwellings should not exceed the background noise level by more than 5dBA or level of 4OdBA, whichever is greater. The proposed Newfield wind farm has been designed to ensure these regulations are met.

Q: Each turbine is 110m, what is the diameter of a tower? For example is it like a multi-storey building?
A: The wind turbines proposed at the Newfield site would be under 110m in height, to avoid the current Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) requirement for lighting, which can contribute to visual impact. The diameter of the base of the tower is about four metres. The blades would be up to 40 metres long. The nacelle which houses the turbine components would be on a tower of about 69 metres in height. For example, they would be similar in height to the wind turbines at the Yambuk wind farm (extension of the Codrington wind farm).

Q: If this proposed wind farm goes ahead, will it just mean one of many? Is the proposed wind farm an industrial estate? If so will it be one of many in the Newfield Valley?
A: The proposed Newfield wind farm project has taken over two years of environmental assessments, wind monitoring, and consultation with landowners, neighbours and the local community to develop a proposal to submit to council. Any other proposals in the region would have to comply with the Victorian planning policies and regulations and would take a similar amount of time to develop. The proposed wind farm is not an industrial estate. Under the Victorian planning scheme, it is possible to submit a wind farm planning application on land in the rural zone for assessment by the responsible authority. Building a wind farm does not require any change in land use or planning zoning.

Q: Will the presence of the wind farm devalue surrounding land?
A: Acciona Energy understands there are concerns in the community about property values. As property values are affected by many different factors, a thorough methodology is needed to study the impact of wind farms on property values. While there have not yet been any Australian studies, the most comprehensive and recent research was by the Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) in the United States. The REPP reviewed data on more than 25,000 property sales in the vicinity of 10 wind farms and used statistical analysis to determine whether, and the extent to which, the presence of the wind farms had an influence on the prices at which properties had been sold. The results of this research showed that wind farms do not decrease property values.