Reference Resources & Links

Proposed Hanging Rock/Nundle wind farm

Heard about a proposed Hanging Rock/Nundle wind farm? French company Engie proposes a $826 million large-scale wind plant, named Hills of Gold Wind Farm, with up to 65 x 230m high wind turbines and associated infrastructure on a 24km stretch of mountain range from Hanging Rock, to Head of Peel, Crawney Pass and Timor. A substation, transmission line and switching station would be required to transfer energy from the proposed project area to the 330kV transmission network.

Preliminary Environmental Assessment available here

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act referral here reference number 2019/8535

A Hills of Gold Wind Farm Community Consultative Committee has been formed and minutes are available below.

Community Consultative Committee Meeting #1, 12th June 2019. See Wind Energy Partners Pty Ltd’s presentation provided to the CCC here. Minutes from the meeting can be found here.  

Community Consultative Committee Meeting #2 held on 18th September 2019 minutes here.

Community Consultative Committee Meeting #3 held on 10th December 2019 minutes here

Community Consultative Committee Meeting #4 held on 1st April 2020 minutes here

Community Consultative Committee Meeting #5 held on 6th May 2020 minutes here

Hills of Gold Preservation Inc was formed representing residents and landholders at Nundle, Hanging Rock, Bowling Alley Point, Head of Peel, Crawney Mountain, and Timor. Its current project is research and assessment of information regarding Wind Energy Partners Pty Ltd’s proposed Hills of Gold Energy wind farm. For further information contact public officer Teresa Eather sacsonjenkins@icloud.com 0418 866 072 for a membership form. See website and Facebook

This is a State Significant Development because of its value (more than $30 million). Progress may be monitored on the NSW Department of Planning website Major Project Register. See here for assessment procedures for State Significant Developments and State Significant Infrastructure.

NSW Wind Farms Dept of Planning Major Projects team advised that although dated 2013 this map is still accurate as most of the wind farm assessments they have undertaken recently have related to modifications to existing projects.

Wind Energy Guidelines (Dec 2016)

Wind Energy Framework

Wind Energy Visual Assessment Bulletin (Dec 2016)

Wind Energy Noise Assessment Bulletin (Dec 2016)

Community Consultative Committee Guidelines

National Wind Farm Commissioner Andrew Dyer’s 2017 Annual Report

National Wind Farm Commissioner Andrew Dyer’s 2018 Annual Report

Media Archive

Northern Daily Leader Letters to the Editor: Monday May 25, 2020

Hills of Gold wind farm ‘photomontage’ does little to allay Nundle opposition (Northern Daily Leader 6/5/20)

Hills of Gold Preservation Inc says more information needs to be made available about the proposed farm (Prime News 12/3/20)

Controversial Nundle wind farm will offer payout to neighbouring landowners (Northern Daily Leader 4/3/20)

Ben Fordham goes into bat for little town with special place in his life (2GB 21/2/20)

Nundle wind farm: ‘overwhelming majority’ of residents against the proposal (The Northern Daily Leader, 27/12/19)

Hills of Gold Newsletter

Tamworth council: Nundle wind farm debate boils over at community meeting (The Northern Daily Leader, 23/10/19)

Media Release July 1, 2019

Nundle show to feature 1 woman, 12 characters in “rollicking, epic” tale (The Northern Daily Leader 21/3/19)

National Wind Farm Commissioner ABC New England North West interview (19/3/19)

Keep an open mind on Nundle wind farm, experts urge community (The Northern Daily Leader 9/3/19)

Renewable energy advocacy group met Nundle residents to discuss proposed wind farm (Prime News North West 7/3/2019)

Tamworth candidates weigh in on divisive Nundle wind farm (The Northern Daily Leader 16/2/2019)

Wind farm worries (Prime News 14/1/19)

Nundle wind farm application to be lodged by early 2020: spokesman (The Northern Daily Leader 5/12/18)

Nundle wind farm meeting gives confidence despite report errors (The Northern Daily Leader, 19/10/18)

Harnessing the wind (Prime News 18/10/18)

Nundle wind farm preliminary environment impact report lodged (The Northern Daily Leader 18/10/18)

Nundle wind farm meeting to be held between department, residents (The Northern Daily Leader 17/10/18)

Nundle wind farm delayed by extra visual and noise studies (The Northern Daily Leader 21/9/18)

Divided communities struggle with wind projects (The Land 31/5/18)

Nundle digs in for fight (The Land 20/4/18) 

Opinion Brietta Hague, Nundle wind farm (The Northern Daily Leader, 14/4/18)

Hanging Rock urges Nundle to consider wind farm jobs (The Northern Daily Leader, 4/4/18)

Nundle airs concerns about wind farm in packed community meeting (The Northern Daily Leader 22/3/18)

Prime News North West 2/3/18

Nundle wind farm would improve town for next generation, Jim Robinson says (The Northern Daily Leader 21/3/18)

Nundle businesses fear $600m wind farm will blow away tourists (The Northern Daily Leader, 20/3/18)

Proposed Hanging Rock/Nundle wind farm site by drone (Fabian Norrie)

Nundle mulls wind farm benefits, jobs and visual impact, (The Northern Daily Leader 8/3/18)

Plans for wind farm at Nundle, ABC New England North West

Prime News North West 7/3/18

Nundle says $600m wind farm won’t divide community (The Northern Daily Leader 6/3/18)

Hanging Rock Nundle Wind Farm mtg summary 5 March 2018

Community meetings on proposed wind turbines near Nundle (The Northern Daily Leader, 4/3/18)

 

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