CROOKWELL local Charlie Prell stood alongside Clean Energy Council Chief Executive David Green and NSW Environment Minister Robyn Parker at the launch of new wind Community Engagement Best Practice Guidelines at the NSW Parliament last week.
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Mr Green said the guidelines were designed to encourage greater and more effective consultation with communities where wind farms are proposed. "We strongly believe communities must be actively involved in the process of developing clean energy infrastructure. The guidelines set down the best-practice standards endorsed by the industry for use when wind companies engage with local communities."
Charlie Prell spoke at length of his decision to proceed with the Crookwell 2 Windfarm development on his farm ‘Gundowringa’, saying “it was not an easy one, but I have visited Windfarms all over the world to assure myself that I am making the right decision”.
"Windfarm hosts, neighbours and the general community need access to good quality information. This Windfarm Guide for Communities, together with the NSW Farmers Windfarm Guide for Landholders, is a great initiative and I commend the Clean Energy Council for producing it. It will be an aid to local councils that suffer the brunt of the anti-windfarm “noise”, as it takes time and courage for local councillors to digest the arguments of both sides of this debate. This guide will assist them", he said.
Charlie concluded that, through his own research from trustworthy sources, “I’m confident that I have got it right”. “The Crookwell 2 Windfarm will provide a passive income stream that will underpin my continuing production of food and fibre in an environmentally sustainable way. And there will be benefits for my local community too. The positive impacts of the Capital and Woodlawn Windfarms on their local community have already been demonstrated through analysis done by the Bungendore Chamber of Commerce, but the positive effects of a wind farm investment on a small community like Crookwell are too often forgotten, as is too often the case with the Windfarms, when the silent majority has been drowned out by a very small and very noisy anti-wind minority.”
NSW Environment Minister Robyn Parker said that New South Wales stood to attract $6.7 billion of investment, translating to 3700 ongoing jobs if all currently proposed wind farms were delivered. "Delivering a more diverse energy mix requires genuine consultation with local communities in those areas across the state where our energy resources are located," Ms Parker said.
Impartial surveys on community support for wind energy repeatedly show that more than three-quarters of respondents are in favour, including many who live in areas where wind farms exist or are proposed.