New group supports clean energy in Scone

Scone Advocate
Thursday 3/4/2008 Page: 3

SCAP, or Scone Citizens Against Polluted Energy, are a new group formed with the aim of supporting clean energy in Scone. The group is relatively new and was initiated by former librarian aid researcher Gloria Muir. "We are not against the other groups, nor are we pro Pamada, but there has been a lot of misinformation given about the negative impact of wind turbines and we would like to be a community group that is primarily concerned with conservation and green energy," Mrs Muir said.

Local residents formed the group after concerns were raised in regard to what they called propaganda style distribution of anti wind farm messages. "I have rung every real estate and local council that has a windfarm in its area. I did not call any wind farm companies or government agencies that would have offered a biased opinion. After doing the research I discovered that information being passed around is entirely incorrect," Mrs Muir said.

Mrs Muir said research revealed other groups have been distributing pamphlets which confused, key aspects of wind technology, such as real estate valuation, noise pollution and impacts to both flora and fauna. "I called a real estate agent in Crookwell, NSW and they have no trouble selling properties around the windfarm there," she said.

Real estate agent for The Professionals in Goulburn told The Advocate, he had recently sold a number of properties for what he described as a good price, despite their proximity to the wind farm constructed in 1998. "We recently sold a 320 acre property for over $1.1 million which was within 800 metres of the turbines. There are some people who turn away when they find out a property is near the wind mills, but it doesn't worry most people," he said.

While Crookwell does not have the same number of turbines proposed for the Scone site, research shows the windfarm produces enough energy to power 3,500 homes and has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by up to 8,000 tonnes per year over coal based power. A similar construction does however exist in Ararat Victoria. The $76 million Pacific Hydro Challicum Hills Wind Farm, built 15 kilometres from the township of Ararat, was completed in August 2003, and is comprised of 35 turbines which stand 68 metres high with a rotor diameter of 64 metres.

Real estate manager for Elders Ararat Garry Todd, said there had been no reduction in property value since the construction. "I sold a property in January this year that was right alongside the windfarm and the price was unaffected. Since they've been here prices have not been affected at all, in fact they have actually grown in value. Aesthetically they look alright and make hardly any noise. A lot of what you hear is just crap," he said.

The newly formed Scone group has also voiced their opinion in regard to threats presented by wind turbines to local flora and fauna. "The impact to flora and fauna is far greater from B doubles that come through here, than from a wind farm," said SCAP member Joanne Van Hees. The group believes large vehicles which frequent the Bunnan Road are responsible for more bird deaths than any form of wind technology. "Research has shown that bird deaths are extremely low from wind turbines," Mrs Muir said.

Literature used by Mr Muir and published by the Australia Institute reports; `available evidence indicates that provided wind farms are located in appropriate areas the risks to biodiversity are likely to be small.' However, Hunter Landscape Guardians President Carmelle Lymbery, said the fact the turbines will be so close to a national park is definitely a threat to both flora and fauna.

"The national park is supposed to be there to preserve, not destroy, and one turbine will be on the very edge of the national park. When these towers go up, the two things they said at that meeting was yes the birds will be impacted upon, and yes we'll be impacted upon by the noise," she said. "Also there are the White Box woodlands out the back which are almost extinct within Australia, and a bulldozer has already been through to create a fence between Crown land, the Henderson's property, our place and the Towarri National Park," she said. Mrs Lymbery said although their group was called the Upper Hunter Landscape Guardians, they were a separate entity from the base group in Victoria.

"We had the Landscape Guardians from Victoria, who had been through it all, come to Scone to tell the people what was going on. They came to answer questions we couldn't answer ourselves, but as a group we are only concerned with issues in our own backyard. If you can't protect your own what can you protect? It's like looking after your children," she said. Mrs Lymbery also said any information provided in the Upper Hunter Landscape Guardians' literature came from sources such as National wind watch, ABC news on line, and newspapers. "All I'm out to do is save what we've got for our children and grandchildren. All we want to do is protect the environment, nothing more." she said.