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The Flat Rocks Windfarm Stakeholder Group
What is the proposed Kojonup Flat Rocks Wind Farm Development Proposal ?
Project Overview.
The Project is comprised of two stages FRWF1 and FRWF2
FRWF1 75.6MW
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18 wind turbine generators using Vestas V150 4.2MW with an overall tip height of 200m
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3 x 75m blades with a rotor diameter of 150m
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each wind turbine has a nacelle (turbine housing) located on top of the tower, and which houses the gearbox and generator (125m height)
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each wind turbine has a reinforced underground concrete foundation and adjacent hardstand area (gravel) to provide a safe working area for cranes during construction and ongoing maintenance as required"
"FRWF STAGE 1 PTY LTD
GENERATION LICENSE APPLICATION
20 APRIL 2022"
FRWF2 100MW
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Located 30km South East of Kojonup
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Up to 24 Turbines
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Capacity of 100 MW
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DA Approved, land secured
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Western Power grid studies underway
Background
The Flat Rocks Wind Farm, received Kojonup Shire approval in 2011 and in Broomehill-Tambellup approval from JDAP was received in 2013 with a large number of development conditions imposed as part of the development approval, construction has so far not commenced and a number of extensions have been sought and approved for the time permitted within which the development must have commenced.
In early 2022 Stage 1 of the wind farm was sold off to Enel Green Energy, an offshore multinational which announced it is now intending to on-sell up to 80% of the Stage 1 of Flat Rocks Wind Farm project to institutional investors.
Many adjoining landowners do not believe that the 4 separate landholding development sites are a suitable development site.
Furthermore the Kojonup Shire and JDAP in relation to the Broomehill Tambellup Shire who approved the development did not determine at the time extensions in time to commence were granted that the then current stipulated 1.5 km separation distances or setbacks of turbines was to be in accordance with the then prevailing WA Wind-Farm Model Guidelines .
The Stakeholders maintain that there has not been proper and effective community consultation throughout the past decade. The new owner of Stage 1 has failed to have a senior "decision maker" within its organisation meet the Stakeholders to collectively resolve their legitimate issues and concerns and that the consultation has effectively consisted of a very small number of meetings where concerns raised were listened to but not addressed. However hopefully we will be able to have a meeting in the coming weeks
The Stage 1 new owners position seems to have been, (that notwithstanding their stated mission statement that they employ industry best practice) that they bought the development with the existing approvals in place from the previous developer and would be pushing ahead with the approvals on an 'as is' basis.
Importantly to date the Stakeholders have not been clearly advised by the new owner where it considers the exact relevant separation distance point out from the turbines is.
The owners of some 100 individual neighbouring properties have now been forced to collectively engage lawyers to review the legalities of the approvals as well as take up their concerns with the two local shire councils to ensure that the development conditions imposed as part of the development approvals are adhered to as well as to ensure that there is proper base line and ongoing acoustic testing for noise level compliance.
