Locals and politicians raise alarm ahead of renewable energy deadline

"If we are going to win this we have to change the politics," Joyce said.

Joyce was speaking at a packed community meeting in the Walcha Bowling Club ahead of the January 23 submissions deadline following the recently released Winterbourne Wind Farm's Environmental Impact Statement EIS.

The renewable energy project, slated for development on a 22,285-hectare site northeast of Walcha, is expected to include 119 wind turbines with a blade tip of up to 230 metres.

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But many locals have expressed anger, saying the Dutch-based developer Vestas has not been transparent nor have they actively engaged with the local community.

And after fine-tooth combing through the EIS, holes and inconsistencies have been pointed out by local group Voice For Walcha, including impacts on biodiversity, water, roads, noise, and knowledge of local indigenous groups.

"And I think with the hazards, we're not going to be able to deal with fire. We're not going to bring choppers in or waterbombers in amongst turbines," Voice for Walcha's Mark Fogarty said.

During a chamber meeting on Thursday, Walcha Mayor Eric Noakes said nothing had divided the community like the wind farm projects but committed to the council remaining neutral.

In their submission, the Walcha Shire Council outlined concerns about the impact on local roads, water and waste assets not being adequately addressed in the Winterbourne EIS.

"All that people can do is by Monday night put in a submission about their thoughts," Noakes said.

"I imagine there will be a lot of submissions in support of this [Winterbourne Wind Farm] and a hell of a lot of submissions against it."

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall at the meeting in Walcha described the Winterbourne EIS as "the very worst" he had ever seen of all the coal seam, gas and wind farm project EISs he had dealt with.

"It is woefully deficient in so many areas," Marshall said.

"It is almost as though the developer is trying to do the absolute bare minimum."

Marshall said he had been unable to secure a meeting with Vestas, whose renewable energy development falls within his Northern Tablelands electorate, despite having attempted on three separate occasions to contact them.

He said some of the assessments in the Winterbourne EIS were "not conducive" to today, having been done during the drought.

And the impact of wind turbine noise on the local area was not thoroughly assessed, he said.

"The 150 mega litres of water...where is that water going to come from?" Marshall said.

"It is extraordinary the gaps that exist in that [EIS] proposal."

Joyce suggested Walcha gather with other groups impacted by wind turbine developments, such as Nundle and Ben Lomond, and "turn up on the front lawn of Canberra" or outside the NSW state parliament in Sydney.

"What scares politicians is when a heap of people are out the front and they are angry... if you keep the fight here in Walcha you will lose," Joyce said.

"You'll never get [Minister for Water and Environment] Tanya Plibersek arguing for wind towers in her electorate.

"This is the hypocrisy of politics, it is righteous so long as they don't have to put up with it.

"As for [Minister for Climate Change and Energy] Chris Bowen, if he is not in the weights room, he is dancing around the dispatch box showing every body how big his muscles are and talking about wind towers."

In a last-resort case, the federal government can override a state-based decision by implementing the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 (EPS).

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