Moyne Shire Council Push For 1.5 Km Wind Farm Turbine Setback.

Councillors have pushed for setback distances further than national wind farm commissioner Andrew Dyer had recommended in a report to the Australian Parliament in June.

Mr Dyer recommended turbines be setback 1.5 kilometres from a residence, and two kilometres if the turbine exceeded 200 metres.

But Cr Jill Parker successfully pushed to write to Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne requesting that those distances be calculated between a turbine and a property’s boundary fence, rather than a residence.

“It’s simply ensuring your property is under your control, rather than influenced by the neighbouring wind farm,” Cr Parker said.

Cr Colin Ryan, among councillors to unanimously back the recommendation, said if implemented, it would mean a farm would not be part of the buffer zone of a neighbouring turbine.

“When it comes to distances from boundary fences as opposed to a house and a turbine, they in my view don’t require the same amount of distance,” Mr Dyer said.

“The setback distance between a turbine and a boundary fence is more about courtesy, protection from animals that might be spooked by the turbine such as horses, and distractions for road safety purposes for roads.

“Setback distances from residences relate to noise and visual amenity and they require greater distances to achieve that outcome.”

While the state government has adopted some of the commissioner’s past guidelines, Mr Dyer said he hoped proponents would “voluntarily” follow his full recommendations.

Moyne Council will also write to the state government asking it to adopt a five-kilometre setback between a wind farm and a township or city boundary, to preserve amenity and opportunities for urban growth.

The council has previously determined to oppose any more wind farms in the shire until the state government adopts a range of the commissioner’s recommendations.

DeFrock suggests paying attention to published research into wind farm distances, noise and possible health impacts;

https://defrock.org/2019/10/03/altered-cortical-and-sub-cortical-connectivity-due-to-infrasound-administered-near-the-hearing-threshold-evidence-from-fmri/

https://defrock.org/2019/06/20/wind-farm-noise-recorded-almost-9km-away/

https://defrock.org/2019/10/03/wind-turbines-infrasound-is-detected-40-60-km-from-wind-farms-during-more-than-50-of-the-measurement-days/

https://defrock.org/2019/09/16/infrasound-low-frequency-noise-physics-cells-health-history/