Right: Dr Nina Pierpont (right, facing camera) campaigns in the United States and world-wide against wind farms. She claims that the turbines adversely affect the health of nearby residents.
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Arguments in favour of the new wind farm regulations in Victoria and New South Wales
1. It has been claimed that wind farms can be injurious to those who live near them
There have been many claims made by those living near wind farms of ill effects upon their health and wellbeing.
Nina Pierpont, a New York paediatrician and wife of an anti-wind energy activist, is one of the most prominent campaigners for the recognition of a set of symptoms referred to by some as Wind Turbine Syndrome. Dr Pierpont has testified before a number of United States hearings into the safety of wind turbines.
Dr Pierpont has stated, 'The symptoms start when local turbines go into operation and resolve when the turbines are off or when the person is out of the area. The symptoms include: Sleep problems: noise or physical sensations of pulsation or pressure make it hard to go to sleep and cause frequent awakening; headaches which are increased in frequency or severity; dizziness, unsteadiness, and nausea; exhaustion, anxiety, anger, irritability, and depression; problems with concentration and learning; and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).'
Dr Pierpont has argued, 'Not everyone near turbines has these symptoms. This does not mean people are making them up; it means there are differences among people in susceptibility. These differences are known as risk factors. Defining risk factors and the proportion of people who get symptoms is the role of epidemiologic studies. These studies are under way. Chronic sleep disturbance is the most common symptom. Exhaustion, mood problems, and problems with concentration and learning are natural outcomes of poor sleep.'
It has also been noted that many living near turbines find them aesthetically unpleasant and complain that they dominate the landscape. Relatedly concern has been expressed that they could adversely affect the tourist industry if they reduce the appeal of popular tourist spots.
Former television chef Peter Russell-Clarke, who has been campaigning against the development of a wind farm near Tooborac, north of Melbourne, said in a submission to a Senate committee investigating the effects of wind farms, 'The economic impact in an area which depends on tourists is shattered by the intrusion on the landscape of 300-foot [90-metre] wind turbines.'
2. The regulations protect the rights of those living near the site of proposed wind farms
The Victorian government claims it is acting on an election promise to safeguard the rights of local, regional communities and those individuals faced with the prospect of living near wind farms.
On August 29, 2011, the Victorian Planning Ministry issued a media release which stated, 'The Victorian Coalition Government has restored certainty and fairness to local communities across regional Victoria through wide reaching reforms to wind farm planning.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy ... announced that the Coalition Government had delivered on another election commitment through his approval of Amendment VC82, which reforms the way wind farms can be approved and prohibits a wind turbine being constructed within two kilometres of an existing dwelling unless there is written consent from the owner of the dwelling.'
Mr Guy indicated that without the written consent of the homeowner, turbine placement could not be approved.
Mr Guy stated, 'This is long standing Coalition policy. The Coalition Government committed to giving local communities a key role in deciding where wind farms will go, and restoring fairness and certainty to the planning process for wind farms...It is important that while wind energy develops, it does not do so to the detriment of rural and regional Victorians.'
The guidelines anticipated for New South Wales would also protect the rights of landowners who object to the $19.6 million wind farm proposed for Eden. One resident in the area, Mr Brian Humphreys, who is a leaseholder of Edrom Lodge has claimed he would be within his rights to object to the current proposal.
Mr Humphreys stated, 'When they're up, they're up for 30 years and once they're up there's not much you can do about it... There's a constant low noise and they said they'd be lit up at night, so we'd have them flickering away as well...
These things are 45 storeys high, so we'd be able to see all seven of them from the house.'
In a letter to the South Australian Development Policy Advisory Committee, dated December 12, 2011, Maureen Beck stated, 'Orderly and sustainable development relies on the input of communities for the betterment of future generations... The State Government should not dictate what the desired character of an area should be. That is the right of the people who have chosen to live there because of the scenic beauty, ambience and community dynamic.'
3. The regulations protect environmentally sensitive sites, those important to the tourist industry and major growth centres
The Victorian government has expressed concern to protect National Parks from any harm that wind farms might cause to the flora and fauna either via their operation or through the infrastructure and maintenance needed to support them.
The Victorian government has also stated that it wishes to preserve important recreational and tourist areas from the potentially negative impact of wind farms.
In its Statement of Policy Plans and Directions issued for the 2010 election, the Victorian Liberals Nationals Coalition stated that one of their aims was 'The exclusion of wind farms in or near national and state parks, designated tourist areas and designated regional population growth corridors.' The Coalition stated it would 'minimise the effect of wind farms on our natural environment and ensure that our coastal landscapes are protected.'
The new Victorian guidelines state, 'Wind energy facilities are not permitted in ... National Parks and other land subject to the National Parks Act 1975; Ramsar wetlands ... ; the Yarra Valley and Dandenong ranges, Bellarine and Mornington Peninsulas, the Great Ocean Road area within five kilometres of the high water mark, and Macedon and McHarg Ranges; the area within five kilometres of the high water mark of the Bass Coast, west of Wilson's Promontory.'
The Victorian government has also decided that certain key growth areas should be exempt from wind farms. This is intended to protect the quality of life of those living in these areas and not alienate land possibly needed for urban development. Under its new guidelines, 'A wind energy facility is ... a prohibited use in an Urban Growth Zone and within five kilometres of major regional cities and centres specified in the Regional Victoria Settlement Framework plan ... being: Ararat, Bairnsdale, Ballarat, Bendigo, Benalla, Colac, Echuca, Geelong, Hamilton, Horsham, Mildura, Moe, Morwell, Portland, Shepparton, Swan Hill, Traralgon, Sale, Wangaratta, Warrnambool and Wodonga.'
4. The regulations are not intended to discourage the development of renewable energy sources
The New South Wales government has said it continues to support the rapidly growing wind industry and remains committed to the target of generating one-fifth of the state's electricity from renewable sources by the end of the decade.
The New South Wales Planning Minister, Brad Hazzard, has claimed that though aspects of the guidelines are 'some of the toughest in the country, possibly the world', they would not prevent the up to $10 billion in investment expected to flow into the sector by 2020
Several wind farm developers initially reacted by claiming they would be able to work within the proposed guidelines (though they also noted they were still digesting the government's proposal.)
A wind industry body, the Clean Energy Council, said it would examine the details of the new proposal but it was confident most wind farm operators would be capable of working within the new guidelines.
Mr Kane Thornton, the director of the Clean Energy Council, has stated, 'The wind industry in Australia already faces some of the strictest development guidelines anywhere in the world. How well it can adapt to these rules will depend on how they are applied in practice - and that remains to be seen.'
In New South Wales wind turbines currently generate about 190 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power about 80,000 average households. However, there are plans to construct sufficient turbines over the next five years to power more than half a million homes.
5. The reliability and economic viability of wind farms is questionable
Opponents of wind farms as an energy source claim they are both expensive and unreliable.
In an opinion piece published in The Herald Sun on September 15, 2011, Miranda Devine stated, 'The idea of clean green wind power sounds good in theory, but the problem is that wind is intermittent. When it doesn't blow there is no electricity, so you need fossil-fuelled power ready on standby to provide the base-load electricity at peak times or on still days.
The cost of building and running the turbines just doesn't stack up.'
Randall Bell, President of the Victorian Landscape Guardians made similar claims at greater length in an opinion piece published in The Geelong Advertiser on September 6, 2011. Mr Bell claims, 'Wind is horribly expensive: about $120 per megawatt hour against coal at $40 and gas at $60. Firstly, there is the initial cost then there is the extra cost of coal or gas generation 24/7... In Spain, with its thousands of wind turbines, each job in renewables is estimated to cost $819,000 in taxpayer subsidies.'
Mr Bell also queries the reliability of wind generated power. He states, 'Wind suffers from an incurable and fatal disease - intermittency.
We all know that the wind is unreliable and fluctuates wildly and when it does it is kicked off the grid, which requires stability at all times. And what happens when there is no wind during our balmy summers? No electricity.'
Mr Bell notes that the unreliability of wind power means that it can never be relied upon independently of another power source. He writes, 'There must be standby electricity generators (coal, gas and hydro, if there is any water) running all the time to rescue wind ...'