By Jeremy Cook
Battlelines appear to have been drawn as residents look set to fight a Victorian wind energy group’s fledgling plans to build a wind farm north east of Warwick.
A commitment by Southern Downs MP James Lister to oppose the reported construction of up to 60 wind turbines in the Goomburra Valley area drew loud cheers from attendees at a community forum in Allora last Thursday night.
The meeting, held at Allora Sports Club on 14 March, had been called after several landholders east of Allora reported approaches from representatives of Wind Prospect, a Victorian-based renewable energy developer, with offers to build wind turbines on their properties.
Though still in its very early stages, most raised their hands when Mr Lister asked who in attendance did not want to see the project go ahead.
“I am very happy to oppose this if that’s what this community wants,” the opposition backbencher told cheering attendees.
Goomburra Valley landowner Graham Park, who helped organise the meeting after an approach from Wind Prospect representatives about seven weeks ago, was the first to speak.
Mr Park said offers of money from the company prompted a range of different reactions.
“My initial reaction was negative… I like the place how it is,” he said
“Then I had a think about my kids and potential grandkids and my wife and [said], we’ve got to look at income and everything else.”
However, Mr Park said the more questions he asked, the more skeptical he became and raised concerns about insurance liabilities and the kilometres worth of power lines needed to connect the wind turbines to power stations located elsewhere.
“The money sounds good but what are the catches?” he said.
“There’s some real issues we have to look at as a community.”
AgForce regional director Scott Reed, the second of five planned speakers, urged landowners to “not sign a contract”, at least not immediately.
“I look back at what’s happened with CSG 25 years ago [and] the ones that first signed up, they’re the ones that have been … well you can all imagine what the word is going to be,” Mr Reed said
“There are some that have done well and some that have not done well.”
Mr Reed advised landowners who do sign contracts to be wary of insurance costs which could jump as a result of their property’s now dual usage as an energy producer.
“You can actually ask the wind turbine company to pay for that change of insurance.”
Charlie Starky, another Goomburra Valley landholder approached by Wind Prospect, voiced his concern about the “huge risk of health issues” he said were caused by low frequency soundwaves generated by wind turbines.
“Wind developers, not unexpectedly, refuse to acknowledge the problem,” a flier distributed by Mr Starky read.
Mr Starky’s claims are yet to achieve scientific consensus and have been routinely debunked by medical researchers, including most recently in a 2023 study commissioned by the National Health and Medical Research Council at Sydney’s Woolcock Institute of Medical Research.
Those present also heard from anti-renewable campaigners Katy McCallum, from the Kilkivan Action Group, and Property Rights Australia chairman Jim Willmott who both attended a rally against “reckless renewables” in Canberra last month.
“There’s no rules or regulations to protect people,” Mr Willmott said.
Ms McCallum expressed her desire for governments to explore nuclear energy proposals instead of renewable projects which she said were white-anting communities.
Southern Downs Mayor Vic Pennisi, who was up for re-election two days later, jumped in at one point to correct Ms McCallum’s claim that the council would be in charge of approving the project.
“No it won’t, it’ll be the state government,” Cr Pennisi said.
Cr Pennisi later spoke again to address concerns about rate rises.
“How it works here in the Southern Downs is, [for] every tower, they have tenure over the piece of land that tower sits on and the rates are leveraged against that piece of land per tower to the company not to the landowner,” he said.
Several attendees also had the opportunity to raise their concerns come the end of the meeting. Though the feelings of those skeptical about the wind farm proposal were perhaps best summed up by one woman who drew attention to Wind Prospect’s non-attendance.
“Just goes to show how much they care about us,” she boomed from outside.
However, it is understood no one from the company was invited.
While Warwick Stanthorpe Today has yet to hear back from questions sent to Wind Prospect, a spokesman for the Department of Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works confirmed the company had made an approach to the state government.
“In Queensland, wind farm operators are required to obtain a development approval from the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA),” the spokesman said.
“SARA has been approached by representatives from Wind Prospect for initial information on the assessment process, however a development application has not yet been lodged.”
