A wind farm at Penstock and St Patricks Plains in the Central Highlands of Tasmania would be detrimental in many ways, here we have many documents that confirm this sentiment.

Tasmanian World Heritage Wilderness Areas are set to be impacted by huge wind turbines with the proposal of the St Patricks Plains Wind Farm. This video shows how high the turbines are going to be and how far reaching the visual impact will be. Wrong place perhaps?

The Plight of The Weeping Tree - Matthew Newton explores the iconic endangered Miena Cider Gums.

Matthew Newton and his film-making team have put together a series of 6 episodes, The Weeping Tree, for the Australian Geographic to highlight the plight of the iconic endangered Miena Cider Gums. The production includes personal connections, artistic responses, historic perspectives and evocative filming of the struggling species in the stunning Highlands. One of the last remaining stands of cider gums occurs on the proposed St Patricks Plains wind farm site. The climatic warming effects of turbines and their potential impact on the species have not been considered by the proponents.  The intrinsic and historical value of these charismatic trees that exist nowhere else on the planet has escaped the attention of the proponents.  Watch the first episode  here. 

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Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle - Important information for your submissions.

A bird detection curtailment system called IdentiFlight is proposed to reduce the risk of blade collision during operation.  The same system is used at Cattle Hill Wind Farm where 5 WTE deaths were reported in the last year. The Tasmanian Threatened Eagles Recovery Plan, formulated in 2006, has expired and has not been remade. Cumulative effects of Cattle Hill (approx 10km away) and other wind farms planned in the vicinity will increase deaths from blade collisions on all bird species.
Little scientific evidence of IdentiFlight's cutting edge technology to reduce eagle deaths by blade!
Huso M & Dalthorp D
Published 2023 Journal of Applied Ecology USA.

Reanalysis indicates little evidence of reduction in eagle
mortality rate by automated curtailment of wind turbines

19/04/2023 Some Facts and Figures from Greg Pullen demonstrating why the Marinus Link should never be built. 
​He explains how it will become a stranded asset, a white elephant, with millions of Tasmanian taxpayer $$$ wasted and our energy security compromised because of political ideology. Find out more here
https://tasmaniantimes.com/2023/04/massaging-the-marinus-message/

03/05/22 - A Fact Check on Epuron’s Support Claims

Slicing Up Wind Farm Spin - Tasmanian Times
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There are 17 endangered WTE nests within or bordering the site.  The WTE is listed as endangered under Schedule 1 of the Commonwealth EPBCA 1999 and Schedule 3.1 of the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995.  Information Sheet  here is an excellent resource.


The primary mitigation measure to protect the species proposes a 1km exclusion zone around nests during construction and operation. This is arguably not sufficient protection and is based on a Forestry Practice Guideline recommended over 40 years ago.  There is no scientific basis for the area of the exclusion (buffer) zone being adequate protection from disturbance during construction or blade collision during operation.  There is no comparison or alignment of forestry operations and wind turbine construction operations. 

There should be no permit granted for the St Patricks Plains wind turbine development because:
  • The accuracy and application of the curtailment system, IdentiFlight, proposed to protect WTE’s from blade collision, has not been substantiated scientifically and peer reviewed. (The current trial and error or suck it and see approach at Cattle Hill Wind Farm, with 5 WTE deaths over the past 12 months is cause for alarm).
  • The expired Threatened Tasmanian Eagles Recovery Plan (2006) has not been renewed.  
  • A new Tasmanian State of the Environment Report is overdue.  The last Tasmanian State of the Environment Report was completed in 2009.
  • Scientific studies being undertaken by UTAS to confirm remaining WTE numbers have not been completed.  Continued deaths from known threats should not be allowed while the actual number of endangered birds that remain is unknown. 
  • There is no scientific evidence to support the efficacy of the 1 km buffer to adequately protect WTE nest sites from disturbance during construction or from wind turbine collisions.
  • Ark Energy's EIS makes insufficient provision during the construction period to mitigate excessive noise and visual disturbance to WTE in the breeding season (from July to January inclusive).

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3 aspects where Ark Energy’s Flora & Fauna impacts are grossly understated according to Environmental Consultant.

View Document here.

This recently published paper published in (Australian Field Ornithology 2023, 40) documents the reported numbers of Tasmanian eagle deaths and injuries from energy assets in Tasmania (2010 – 2022).

Read paper here.
KEEP TASMANIA’S HIGHLANDS UNIQUE
NO TURBINE ACTION GROUP Inc AGM 2024
Sunday 22nd September 2024
ZOOM at 4.00pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85688921762?pwd=0vOPcnOKSrug5rrbbvwN8IZd1cCh8V.1
 
Meeting ID: 856 8892 1762
Passcode: 913061
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Members Welcome
Letter to the Mercury (published 7/07/21) by John Toohey highlights the distance turbine noise can be heard in a tranquil environment.  
john_tooheys_letter_retyped.pdf
File Size: 99 kb
File Type: pdf
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A recent article in Tas Inquirer written by Bob Burton, a 'must' read.
Premier directed Hydro Tasmania to enter into loss-making deal, utility says
Two of Tasmania’s publicly-owned power utilities have revealed they could lose tens of millions of dollars on power purchase agreements with wind farm owners.
It has prompted questions about why more information about the contracts is not publicly available, and how government agencies that are supposed to operate as commercial businesses came to sign deals that could leave electricity consumers out of pocket.

Read Article Here
Read the NTAG Report about the Epuron community meetings at Bothwell and Miena in Feb '21.
epuron_community_info_sessions_-_feb_2021.pdf
File Size: 131 kb
File Type: pdf
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NTAG submission on Draft Renewable Energy Coordination Framework  March 2021
Central Plateau Plunder

An article in the summer edition of  WILD Magazine by Dr Bob Brown exposing Epuron’s eneconomic St Patricks Plains Wind Farm proposal.

Read Article Here
Revisiting the Bird and the Blade By Nick Mooney BirdLife Australia Raptor Group
wedge-tailed_eagles_and_windfarms.pdf
File Size: 56 kb
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Report on Epuron Information Day. Feb 2020
information_day_miena_feb_2020.pdf
File Size: 71 kb
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Infrasound and low-frequency noise from wind turbines study.
Authors: Colin Hansen, Branko Zajamsˇek and Kristy Hansen
turbine_noise_study.pdf
File Size: 1700 kb
File Type: pdf
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Letter to the Mercury on Tuesday 4th February in response to the Epuron  Community Information Session.
mercury_article_03_feb_2020.pdf
File Size: 99 kb
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Meet the zoologist who gets more text messages from wedge-tailed eagles than humans.

https://www.utas.edu.au/news/2020/5/26/1011-eagle-eye-on-endangered-bird/?fbclid=IwAR3nnmJKt5MoNnywqxof2GzMt0NOClxTdY6qgmaDlfcVZoBJIAq_THefWkk
Wind Farm EPA Submissions
wind_farm_epa_submission.pdf
File Size: 173 kb
File Type: pdf
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A letter of objection on behalf of the Quamby Fly Fishers Club.
wind_farm_quamby_letter.pdf
File Size: 167 kb
File Type: pdf
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A letter of objection from Trout Unlimited - Colorado.
Trout Unlimited
File Size: 226 kb
File Type: pdf
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Janet Holmes a Court, Patron of Fly Fish Australia, letter of support.
save_the_environment.pdf
File Size: 561 kb
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An article in the USA National Trade Journal - Angling Trade magazine

https://www.anglingtrade.com/2020/07/01/proposed-wind-farm-could-literally-overshadow-some-of-the-worlds-most-iconic-trout-waters/
NTAG - Notification Of Significant Matters Of Concern
ntag_notification_of_significant_matters_of_concern___to_epuron_pdf_210720.pdf
File Size: 939 kb
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Information Prospectus - NTAG

ntag_information_sheet_prospectus_final.pdf
File Size: 385 kb
File Type: pdf
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Project Marinus - Wrong Way Go Back