Residents raise concerns for proposed Kerrs Creek Wind Farm project

The proposed Kerrs Creek Wind Farm project was initially tabled back in March of 2021 and is being headed by independent renewable energy company, RES Australia.

It claims enough sustainable energy would be generated to supply some 300,000 homes with power each year.

But for those living in the Cabonne Shire - particularly in the Kerrs Creek and Euchareena areas, where the turbines would be located - noise pollution worries were expressed at the October 10 community consultation.

"Key issues raised by community members included the potential visual and noise impacts from the project to neighbouring properties, as well as traffic and construction impacts on local infrastructure," RES Australia's community engagement manager, Darren Chesterfield said.

"Residents were also keen to understand how community benefits from the project will be distributed locally, between both Dubbo and Cabonne Local Government Areas."

Many of those people either attended the Tuesday meeting in-person, or took to social media to express their opinions on Spread the Word in Molong.

Some were all for the project, while others shared concerns of the turbines creating environmental and emotional upset; both during and after its proposed development.

"We need to be asking RES if this is the only renewable project proposed for our area or if we are on the brink of something like what is happening east of Wellington and Uralla/Walcha right now," Boomey resident and Landcare environmental specialist, Sally Kirby wrote.

"Families and communities have been torn apart in our neighbouring regions and we need to be on the front foot to make sure neighbours are adequately compensated and there are some community benefits in Cabonne.

"We most certainly will see the turbines from Molong. They are going to be a lot bigger than the ones east of Wellington that you can see 30 kilometres away."

Aside from this division of community, Mrs Kirby raised concerns about biodiversity impacts, discussing the devastation created by construction of wind turbines and solar farms.

Part of this included several hundred-year-old (and irreplaceable) box trees along Boomey Lane, along with the negative impacts on microbats - saying they're drawn into the turbines' vortex as it turns.

"They have to link all the turbines together and then to the high voltage lines, which inevitably means clearing the vegetation along roadsides where some of the best quality remnant vegetation remains," she said.

"There is [also] a migratory path from the north coast to cave systems in Wellington, Borenore and beyond, and what people don't realise is that these bats are part of the ecosystem we live in.

"They eat some crazy amount of insects each night, and we upset that balance and it has repercussions down the line for the other critters, but also for agriculture. Bats are part of the integrated pest management program."

Other dissenting views covered limited lifespans of the turbines, understood to last for around three-decades, and the fact they cannot be recycled once exhausted.

On Wednesday, October 11, RES says it will "continue to work through identified issues" with interested and impacted project neighbours.

"Understanding community concern associated with the development was a key objective of this information session," Mr Chesterfield said.

"[We will] report back to the community on how we have considered community feedback in the ongoing design of the project."

The Central Western Daily asked RES Australia which LGA the turbine energy for the approximate 300,000 homes would supply.

RES responded: "The project will generate electricity which will be exported to the National Electricity Market which extends across eastern Australia, including the local region".

Dubbo's Daily Liberal newspaper, sister paper of the Central Western Daily, reported on the proposal in January earlier this year.

To be situated roughly 30-kilometres outside of Molong, the land earmarked for the project currently grazes cattle and sheep, used by local farmers for agricultural purposes.

If successful, RES Australia says the proposed wind farm would allow both uses to "effectively co-exist", with the turbines to occupy less than two per cent of the total 9500 hectares.

It also says the site was selected for its ideal windy conditions with excellent access to the energy network, including current grazier-use as complementing the wind farm in terms of its good terrain and healthy soil.

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