IT WAS standing room only at the Yea Country Club on Saturday April 20, with over 200 people coming to hear about Fera’s proposed wind farm and high voltage transmission line project in the region.
Members of Yea and surrounding districts claim they have only recently become aware of Fera’s industrial scale wind farm proposal which includes a 330kv transmission line connecting the proposed wind turbines in the southern Strathbogie ranges to the main Melbourne – Sydney transmission line somewhere between Glenburn and Alexandra.
Currently Fera are looking at two separate zones for the project, with area under investigation bound by Avenel, Longwood, Ruffy, Highlands and Tarcombe.
Andrew Lawson, director of Fera Australia said the so-called Seymour Wind Farm project has been under investigation for the last few years.
“The project is based on the areas strong wind resources and the project’s proximity to the National Grid,” he said.
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The area covered by the project’s turbines will span more than 50,000 hectares with a number of local towns in proximity to the project area.
A total of 277 private dwellings will also be in close proximity to the wind farm, located between one and three kilometres from infrastructure.
A further 91 dwellings will be between three and five kilometres from infrastucture.
Turbines will stand 230 metres tall, with the hub at 150 metres high and the blade adding an extra 80 metres.
The project has a potential 108 turbines which will be located on private farmland with agreements in place with individual landholders.
“There is a recognised need for farms (where farmers rely on the income from the farm) to be economically sustainable, and for the land to have multiple sources of income,” Mr Lawson said.
“Whilst there are a number of vineyards and cherry farms in the region, the majority of farms are sheep and cattle grazing.
“There has been extensive clearing in the region to support grazing.
“Farms were located in the area to take advantage of the natural resources of the land.
“The area has a strong natural wind resource.
“Farms have the potential to add energy production whilst maintaining all farm activities.
"The project has the potential to generate power for more than 400,000 homes and and farms and will provide long term economic stability to the farms that host the turbines and transmission infrastructure," Mr Lawson said.
However, the project has drawn concern as community members cite limited consultation and landholders in the region register their opposition.
Fera refutes suggestions they have neglected to engage the community, providing examples of four separate information sessions conducted over 2023, with over 223 site visits to private dwellings along with a letter box drop to 270 private letterboxes and flyers to 2140 post office boxes over a year of public consultation.
In opposition to the project, the Strathbogies Responsible Renewables Community Group (SRRCG) was asked to present the information session on April 20 in Yea.
Fera asked if they could attend the meeting and address community concern and 'misinformation', with Mr Lawson confirming that they were asked not to attend.
At the meeting, SRRCG Secretary, Darryl Otzen instead provided a detailed overview of Fera’s proposal from the understanding of the SRRCG, including the ways in which the project has been modified since investigations began in 2019.
Since the initial investigations, Fera have decided against turbines close to Ruffy and are trying to create a buffer clear of the area, and five to six locations have been identified as requiring further investigation in regard to ecological issues, with relocation or deletion from the project under consideration.
Darryl Otzen fielded a number of questions and concerns raised after the presentation, pertaining to technical issues related to the transmission lines and associated infrastructure.
Bushfire safety and concerns about the potential for aerial firefighting to be impacted by the turbines and transmission lines was of significant worry.
“Aerial firefighting in the hilly and inaccessible Strathbogies is increasingly becoming the first line of attack and the community is rightly concerned about their safety should this development reduce aerial firefighting access,” Mr Otzen said.
Audience members also queried Murrindindi Council’s role in the project, and though not formally involved in the approval process, council will be consulted by planning authorities.
“The audience felt strongly that council should be advocating for the impacted community,” said Mr Otzen.
"100 per cent foreign-owned Fera Australia is proposing to construct one of the largest wind farms in Victoria through the rolling granite hills and valleys of this unique and fragile landscape.
“A key role that council does have is to recognise the significant value of this landscape including its environmental, cultural heritage and agricultural and tourism values in its planning scheme.
“This would protect it from inappropriate developments such as Fera’s proposal,” he said.
The SRRCG claim there is widespread community opposition to the project; the statement supported by results from a community survey run by the SRRCG in July/August 2023 which show only six per cent of the 201 respondents in favour of the project.
The SRRCG recently re-opened the survey to allow the Yea and districts community to have their say, with community members also interested in forming their own group to work alongside the SRRCG, which is Ruffy-based.
However Fera dispute claims of widespread opposition, providing data gathered at the Seymour Alternative Farming Expo in April showing strong community support for wind and solar renewable energy projects.
Fera spoke to 318 people over the three days, requesting the community fill in a survey.
"At the recent expo, the question Fera used was 'Do you support renewable energy?'," said Mr Otzen.
"They also asked 'Do you support the local Cherry Tree Wind Farm and proposed Fera Wind Project?'"
"This is clearly a very different question from that used by the SRRCG.
"We asked more specifically 'How do you feel about the project in the Southern Strathbogie ranges?'
"We also provided a description of the project before the question."
The two surveys delivered very different results.
