Keep Tasmania's Highlands Unique NTAG is appealing the approval of the St Patricks Plains Wind Farm at TasCAT. The hearing commences this Monday March 17. Please help us cover costs by making a donation - details are on our support page.
INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND
Who Are We?The No Turbine Action Group Inc (NTAG) is a not-for-profit community group of people from diverse backgrounds who have an affinity with and connection to the rugged wildness and unique cultural landscape of the Highland Lakes area of Tasmania. We are strongly opposed to the inappropriate location of the St Patricks Plains Wind Farm development by Korea Zinc. We are not antidevelopment and support viable renewable energy projects at better sites in Tasmania. Our passion is to protect the remoteness and unique scenery, wildlife, recreational and heritage values of a place in the heart of Tasmania that is special to many from different perspectives and from all parts of the world.
Who Is Korea Zinc? Korea Zinc is the global mining corporation whose subsidiary company Ark Energy will undertake the planning process to gain approvals, build and operate former owner Epuron's portfolio of wind and solar energy developments around Australia including the St Patricks Plains Wind Farm and other projects in Tasmania. Korea Zinc aims to offset its global carbon emissions from its smelting activities through the production of 'green' hydrogen.
What does the Project entail? St Patricks Plains revised wind farm proposal is an installation of 47 gigantic turbines 231 metres tall (three times the height of Hobart’s Wrest Point Casino) on 10,000ha of land belonging to 6 private landowners. The highly visible turbines straddle a large section of the Highland Lakes Road (the Lake Highway) between Bothwell and Miena, as well as sections of access roads to Penstock Lagoon, Shannon, Wilburville, Flintstone Drive and Arthurs Lake communities. Turbines will be clearly visible from widespread scenic vantage points including the World Heritage Area. The project plans to construct or upgrade 78km of roads within the wind farm boundary, build workshops and a variety of associated infrastructure including transmission towers.
What are Our Concerns?The turbines are too high, too many and too close to roads, communities and wildlife. The Highland Lakes Road is a popular touring arterial route from the Northwest to the South of the State with many outstanding scenic, geographical and historical features along the way including the Steppes Homestead (circa 1864), and heritage listed Steppes Hall with its surrounds containing displays of plaques and information panels commemorating the harsh lives of European pioneers and shepherding families in unforgiving conditions. The strongly promoted visitor, recreational and tourist attractions based on natural, cultural and heritage values would be severely compromised by wind turbines along the roadside and on skylines, also destroying the beauty and serenity of fishing and camping experiences at world famous Penstock Lagoon (venue for World Fly-fishing Competition 2019).
The proposed wind farm site contains a significant number of high altitude and wetland communities with listed endemic rare and threatened wildlife and flora species that are extremely sensitive to disturbance and whose distribution is limited to a small number of specific Highland locations.
There are over 200 families residing near the proposed wind farm boundary, some within 3km of turbines, whose visual and noise amenity will be lost with potential health issues becoming risk factors. Residents are very concerned about an inevitable decrease in property values. The increased risks of fire to property and personal safety are of grave concern with aerial fire-fighting ability severely diminished due to the proximity and layout of the turbines.
There is a high number of nationally endangered Wedge-tailed eagles in the area, who are vulnerable to collision with the huge turbine blades, are extremely sensitive to disturbance and intrusion and whose nesting and hunting territory would be considerably compromised. Their declining population is a cause for concern especially considering the cumulative impacts from the nearby, recently commissioned and more suitably sited Cattle Hill Wind Farm (owned by Goldwind with 80% PowerChina, a Chinese state-owned listed enterprise).
