Wind farm neighbours are happy with their lot

www.heraldsun.com.au
9 May 2012

A survey by Infigen Energy has found the majority of residents next to Capital wind farm in Bungendore are happy. THE majority of residents living with a wind farm in their community east of Canberra think it's a breeze, according to a survey released on Wednesday evening. Renewable energy company Infigen Energy commissioned the survey of more than 230 locals, including 89 businesses, near the Capital wind farm in Bungendore. The phone survey, conducted by independent market research firm Qdos, found 52% of respondents believed the wind farm was positive for the local community. Of those, 13% believed it was "very good''.

A third of those polled said it made no difference either way, 4% said the wind farm was "bad'' for the community and 1% said it was "very bad''. Infigen Energy managing director Miles George said the results indicated the vast majority of people live harmoniously with wind farms. "Debunking the myth that wind farms make people leave their homes, 33% of those surveyed had moved into the area in the past five years,'' Mr George said. "We know of four new houses located between 800 and 2800 metres from the wind farm that were built after the plant was commissioned.'' When asked if generating electricity from wind farms benefitted the environment, 75% of respondents believed it did compared to 10% who thought it did not.

More than two-thirds of those surveyed said they would support the development of future wind farms. Infigen Energy, which owns and operates 24 wind farms in Australia and the US, said interviews had also been conducted with two real estate agents in Bungendore. "They said that overall property sales and values in the area had not been affected,'' the company reported. "Real estate agents said that previous to the construction of the wind farm, there was a fear of the unknown among property owners and some sold up. "But since construction, no real effect had been observed.''

One agent said he sold one property between two wind mills 18 months ago. Of the respondents 28% had lived in the area for 20 years or more, while 39% had lived in the area for six to 19 years. Infigen Energy began developing the wind farm in 2004 and more than $10 million had been invested directly in the area since the construction. On an ongoing basis about $2 million goes into the local community each year through sourcing supplies from local businesses, payments to land owners and local employee wages, the company said.