Moyne Shire Council votes unanimously against Mt Fyans Wind Farm

Several objectors made impassioned speeches describing their fears about the project and asking councillors to do what they could to halt it.

The project's director Giles Rinckes of Woolnorth Renewables also presented at the meeting, addressing the various concerns and disputing some of the claims being made by wind farm opponents.

The Mt Fyans application proposes to build 81 turbines across 10,700 hectares of farmland, which would make it the second largest in the region. Each turbine would stand up to 200 metres tall at the tip of its blade, with the facility producing enough electricity to power every house in Western Victoria.

Nina Thomas' large family property is a few kilometres outside Mortlake. She said she commended the councillors "for listening to your constituents" and excoriated Woolnorth Renewables.

"You would be aware of the inadequate community consultation associated with the Mt Fyans Wind Farm project and its horrible impact on the community, pitting neighbours against neighbours, destroying friendships and the very essence of what makes a rural community strong," Ms Thomas said.

"Our district can't sustain this, nor could it sustain the cumulative impacts of this wind farm if it were to succeed."

Ms Thomas said the Dundonnell, Mortlake South, Salt Creek and Mt Fyans wind farms would combine to kill 50,000 birds over their years of operation. She argued every part of her family's property would be affected by noise and "blade flicker" from the turbines, and said the district already had too many wind farms, with 138 around Mortlake.

"The western district is full, we have already made the sacrifice," she said.

Mr Rinckes said the council's own survey in 2022 found 80 per cent of respondents were in favour or strongly in favour of wind farms. He also said Woolnorth had tried to minimise the impact the wind farm would have on the area.

"Woolnorth has taken an avoidance approach. This wind farm avoids all native vegetation... cultural heritage areas... areas where bats live... brolga nesting areas by more than the required buffers... (and) blade flicker at adjoining properties," he said.

He disputed the council's claim Woolnorth had not addressed the "cumulative impact" of turbines in the district. "Cumulative impact is addressed in many of the specialist reports that are submitted with our planning application," he said.

Mr Rinckes faced strong questioning from several councillors, with Cr Damian Gleeson asking why bird and bat deaths at nearby wind farms hadn't been taken into consideration in the Mt Fyans environmental impact projections.

Cr Gleeson also criticised the proposed community benefits, which council officers said were a mere third of the normal rate per turbine. "I don't want to use the word 'pathetic', but..." Cr Gleeson said.

Cr Jordan Lockett said he was as "green" as anyone at the meeting, but couldn't support the project. "The social licence (for wind farms) has expired in the shire and there's not enough benefit to the community," he said.

The unanimous objection means council officers will appear at a future state planning panel to argue against the project.

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