I cannot imagine a more sensitive area for the proposed Rye Park Wind Farm to be put - in steep, timbered, and protected land. The area has a gradient of 18 per cent and steeper, is fragile, has erodible soil and very rare orchids are growing there.

Hundreds of acres will have to be cleared for access roads, turbine sites and Power lines etc. 

The landscape will have massive damage done to it because of the clearing, earthworks etc on the steep hills. This will create massive bare areas that will never recover. These bare areas will cause almost 100 per cent runoff, which in turn will cause erosion, creating a possible environmental disaster silting springs, dams, and creeks where the endangered Pygmy Perch fish and Bell Frog live. The area will change FOREVER. 

For the people who do not know me, you might ask what would I know about the above. I started an Earthmoving business 50 odd years ago, which is still successful today. We have successfully repaired thousands of acres of erosion over the years and know what will happen if something is put where it should not be put. We have seen what happened at an existing wind turbine site where massive erosion was caused. If Trustpower is allowed to build the Rye Park Wind Farm people’s beautiful views and quiet country living will be gone, finished because of ugly, noisy monsters, 157 metres tall. Taller than the Sydney Harbour Bridge, with bigger turbines, and they only work when suitable wind blows. They are inefficient, subsidised with your taxpayer’s money at a minimum of $500,000 per turbine per year. In 20 years who is going to pull them down? There is an old saying, “SHORT TERM GAIN, LONG TERM PAIN”. The developer will be the only one getting a massive gain, everyone else will suffer. 

There has been numerous bushfires close to and where the proposed farm is planned. The best way to fight fires in that area is with aerial support - fixed wing or helicopters . If the towers go in it will be too dangerous for them to fly near the towers. Without Aerial Support the 2009 Coppabella fire could have spread to Bookham, Bowning, Yass, Murrumbateman, even Canberra, and all the farms in that area would have been in danger of being burnt, with possible major loss of lives.

Without aerial support we will have bigger bushfires than we have ever had if more wind towers go up. How long is it going to take us to wake up about the consequences of these towers? 

All wind turbines should be banned starting with the Rye Park Wind Farm because of the following damaging reasons health of humans and animals, families have had to leave their homes, damage to the environment, land values, fires etc etc.