The Flat Rocks Wind Farm Stakeholder Group

Welcome to the Flat Rocks Wind Farm Stakeholder Group website

The website was established by the Stakeholder Group in response to the proposal to develop a wind farm by Moonies Hill Energy Pty Ltd and Enel Green Energy Ltd (Proponents) on four rural farms comprising 6840 hectares in the shires of Kojonup and Broomehill/Tambellup in the South West of Western Australia.

The four separate disconnected farms which make up the wind farm proposal area are surrounded by an estimated 450 individual rural properties some smaller than 1/2 a hectare. Many of these neighbouring owners have serious issues with the proposed development,

in that it is to be located in a highly productive rural area
the proposed windfarm area is made up of four disconnected farms which are separated by unrelated farms that have no connection with the wind farm development
the neighbours were not aware of the progression of the wind farm proposal and so have not had any opportunity to comment at some of the key stages of the wind farm approvals
the buffers around the turbines as defined by EPA guidelines will fall outside the proposed wind farm areas meaning that the neighbours land is effectively providing the required buffer
the current turbine locations do not meet the buffer requirements as detailed in the proposal approvals
the future development of these neighbouring individual rural properties as farming and small lifestyle properties will be greatly impacted especially given the turbine host agreements are understood to be for a term of up to 55 years
it will adversely effect the rural amenity of the area far beyond the windfarm proposal area
it will adversely affect the visual amenity of the area far beyond the windfarm proposal area
it has already divided the local communities
it will adversely impact bushfire safety
the properties identified in the Proposal areas known as Intaba and Yantecup are Confirmed Breeding Areas for the critically endangered Carnaby's Black Cockatoo
the new owners, Enel Green Energy Ltd (Enel) have stated they are relying on the original wind farm approvals, despite:
- the approvals not meeting EPA guidelines,
- the areas being identified as breeding areas for the endangered bird populations
- there not being a community consultation process in accordance with the model wind farm community consultation guidelines and
- the new owners have already commenced proceedings to on sell up to 80% of the project

The Stakeholders are not against suitably sited wind farms which they believe should be located on far larger tracts of contiguous marginal broadacre rural land rather than in a high value productive small lot farming district as is the case with this current proposal. Most importantly buffers should meet industry guidelines and industry best practise and additionally turbines should be of a sufficient distance to property boundaries within the windfarm area to ensure unrelated neighbours properties are not within the required buffer zones.

In the event the Flat Rocks Wind farm approval process continues to progress, the Flat Rocks Wind Farm Stakeholder Group will endeavour to ensure that:

all development conditions of approval are complied with
turbines are not located less than 1 km from neighbours boundaries without the authority of expressed written consent from that adjoining landowner
all relevant setbacks or separation distances between turbines and neighbours are complied with and turbines micro sited accordingly
proper independent noise monitoring is conducted throughout the duration of the project
all relevant legislation, regulations and model wind farm development guidelines are adhered to
all relevant environmental legislation and regulations are complied with
the provisions of the Environmental Protection ( Noise) 1997 Regulations (Regulations) are complied with at all times
that the noise level at neighbours boundaries in accordance with the Regulations does not exceed 35 decibels
the proponents demonstrate ongoing compliance, and
that the proponents will need to alter or modify the operations of the wind farm or modify micro siting of turbines to ensure ongoing noise compliance throughout the duration of the project

The Stakeholders have serious concerns that the proponents will ever be able to meet the maximum noise levels permitted at their dwellings / sensitive premises, noise sensitive premises, rural premises boundaries and their dams and catchments and that turbine siting will meet the buffer distances defined in the current approvals.

Furthermore the Group will seek to ensure that the proponents take the commercial risk that the future wind farm operations may need to be altered or modified including the shutting down or moving turbines in order to continue to comply with noise limitations in accordance with the notes accompanying the approvals.

Flat Rocks Windfarm Key Issues

no environmental assessment was carried out by the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority despite
- over 2kms of clearing of native remnant vegetation being now required along a roadway (not the subject of the original development application)
- area covers breeding ground of the rare and endangered Carnaby cockatoos and other species of Red Tail and Baudin's cockatoos
not designed in accordance with Windfarm Industry guidelines,
- in that setbacks do not meet Australian Windfarm Guidelines of 1.5 km.
- the development is over high value arable farmland rather than broad-acre marginal farmland
required setbacks of 1km for turbines under the approved development conditions do not meet current windfarm development model guidelines
the requirement for turbine setbacks of 1 km unless the landowner signs a written agreement has been ignored with current turbine layout plans showing turbines on neighbouring boundaries of rural farms located less than 1 km despite the fact that the landowner has signed a written agreement
approvals and turbine layout plans provided by Enel at odds with Enel’s “Approach” statement “to comply with best practices”
wind farm development area spread over four narrow unconnected areas
rural farms surrounded by wind farm areas
over twenty 200 metre high turbines visible from adjacent landholdings and dwellings
the industrial development affects future development on individual rural lots
loss of rural amenity to neighbouring farmers
the proposed clearing of remnant native vegetation along Warranup road for an interconnecting underground electrical cable was never applied for or approved under the development applications

"..buffers should meet industry guidelines"

Relevant Documents

Summary of Submissions

Development Application

Stakeholder Report

Fire Management Plan

Traffic Management Plan

Construction Management Plan

Development Layout Plan

Letter to the Minister

Current Stakeholder Objectives

The Stakeholders current objectives are to ensure:

that the Proponents comply with all the relevant current government regulations, legislation and model wind farm development guidelines relating to wind farm development
that the Proponents comply with the development conditions which were the subject of the development approvals in the two shires in relation to land clearing, the minimum distance allowed between wind turbines and the neighbouring adjoining "rural premises" boundaries i.e. separation distances
that the Proponents comply with the WA Environmental Protection (Noise) Regulations and the maximum allowed noise levels of 35 decibels comply at "noise sensitive premises" this being the neighbouring farm boundaries
that the shires discharge their obligation to ensure compliance with the Development Conditions and meet government published guidelines
that the shires ensure that there is proper independent acoustic baseline studies conducted and ongoing independent noise testing and monitoring to ensure that the wind farms operations are meeting the maximum noise levels permitted or are modified accordingly
that the Proponents engage in proper ongoing consultation with Stakeholders in relation to upholding compliance of the development conditions relating to the operation of the windfarm
that the noise level of the turbines does not exceed 35 decibels being the maximum allowable noise level at the boundary of adjoining neighbours 'rural premises'
that human health is monitored for the lifetime of the project and in the event that the wind farm impacts the human health appropriate action is taken, and
that the Carnaby Black Cockatoo breeding density is monitored for the lifetime of the project and in the event that the Wind farm impacts the breeding density appropriate action is taken

What Can you Do As a Land Holder

Talk to your neighbours and do not be pressured
Stand up for your legitimate legal and property rights
Join the Flat Rocks Windfarm Stakeholders Group
Email your local newspaper / send a letter to the editor
Contact your local member of Parliament

Questions to be asked:

What is going to happen in 20 years time once the blades need replacing?
Who is going to be liable for the removal of the plant and equipment should the company fail financially?
How will the ability to fight fires in the area using light aircraft and heavy water bombers be affected by the wind turbines?
What alternative firefighting measures will be put in place?
What happens if a turbine catches alight during a vehicle movement ban or a total fire ban?
Is Kojonup a suitable place for a wind farm – is the wind sufficient?
Are there going to be buffers within the development envelope?
Who is going to police noise level complaints?
Who is going to pay for noise level monitoring?
Who is going to pay for the monitoring of health?
Who is going to pay for the monitoring of the cockatoo breeding density?
Do the Kojonup and Broomehill Tambellup Shires have the expertise, experience and technical knowledge to ensure noise level compliance?
Whether the development is assessable for council rates on the development?
If water bombers can't be deployed in the event of a bushfire who will compensate an effected landowner

Community Consultation Results

Contrary to the assertion that there is public support for the proposal the overwhelmingly majority of submissions received were against the approval. A total of 59 submissions were received in response to the planning application in Kojonup

41 against
11 support
7 agency/undecided

Two submission periods were undertaken in Broomehill-Tambellup – 1st round - 28 submission

20 against (7 reside outside Great Southern Region)
2 support
6 agency/undecided

2nd round - 29 submission

20 against (5 from 1 property)
9 agency

The overwhelming majority of neighbours to the development are opposed to the development in its current form.