As a resident of Rye Park I am beginning to wonder how many times do the majority of the residents from Rye Park and surrounds have to say "NO" to the proposed Wind Turbine project on our doorstep. Does a 91 per cent 'No' vote have no credibility at all? It is usually the minority voice that is overlooked and overruled but in this particular case it is definitely the majority voice.

I am curious to know if the company Trustpower, in its relentless pursuit of developing wind power as a source of green renewable energy, is being driven purely by a genuine concern of reducing greenhouse emissions and thus helping "save our planet" or being driven purely by a relentless pursuit of making money. I fear the latter. The fact that Trustpower is offering residents, living on neighbouring properties to the host, $2500 a year if they sign an agreement not to campaign against the construction of wind turbines or lodge any other complaints is as good as admitting that there could be noise and health issues associated with the turbines. Also, not only is the offer of a piddling $2500 an insult but in my opinion nothing short of a bribe.

I recently attended an open information day put on by Trustpower at Rye Park and was told that the company would be legally bound to upgrade and maintain all the access roads to the Rye Park township and to the various wind turbine construction sites to cope with the constant flow of trucks and other heavy earthmoving equipment during a two year period. Ongoing maintenance to the roads around the towers was also to take place. But what guarantee is there that this will happen? Especially if the actual construction of the proposed wind turbines is to be carried out by a different company who, by the way, will decide which of the proposed access routes is the most suitable. I might mention that one of these routes incorporates Cook Street, Banks Street and Cemetery Road right through the centre of Rye Park. Remember this constant movement of trucks and heavy vehicles would be going on for two years!

Having grown up on the land, I do have an understanding of how hard it is to make a living from a grazing or farming property especially in times of drought and how tempting it must have been to have been offered the promise of quite a substantial amount of money yearly by the wind turbine company in exchange for agreeing to allow the construction of turbines on the property. However, I do have concerns that after 25 years, what will happen when a turbine reaches the end of its life. When questioned one of the Trustpower team about this I was informed that the Trustpower Company was legally bound to repair or decommission and dismantle a decaying tower but in case of the Trustpower Company being sold on to another company which consequently was declared bankrupt, this agreement would naturally no longer apply. He went on to say that as the metal in a tower would be valuable as scrap, a scrap metal merchant would probably be interested in pulling it down. I have it on good authority that it would be far too costly and difficult for a scrap metal merchant to even consider. What then?

To add insult to injury, I was told the cost of electricity would rise by 4-5 per cent as a result of the development of green renewable energy. As for the promise of funding for the community's use by Trustpower, I think most residents want Rye Park to stay as it is – thank you. So all in all I feel the only people who are going to benefit from this whole debacle are the hosts, some of whom are “absentee landlords" living away from it all. I can't help feeling that it is not altogether fair that neighbours and other residents, who are against this project going ahead, are going to be subjected to noise, road disruptions and possible health issues when I'm sure that if there was an outbreak of a bushfire or some other catastrophe on a host's property, they would be among the first to lend a hand.