Macarthur Wind Energy Facility preliminary survey
Anne Schafer|August 1, 2013
This document explains the preliminary results of an anonymous self-reporting survey administered to households located within 10 kilometers of the Macarthur Wind Energy facility located near Penshurst Township in Australia. The findings of the survey demonstrate a significant size of the population experiencing negative impacts from the project. Excerpts of the survey report can be found below. The full report, including a map of the impact area is available by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.
This document explains the preliminary results of an anonymous self-reporting survey administered to households located within 10 kilometers of the Macarthur Wind Energy facility located near Penshurst Township in Australia. The findings of the survey demonstrate a significant size of the population experiencing negative impacts from the project. Excerpts of the survey report can be found below. The full report, including a map of the impact area is available by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.
Introduction
The Macarthur Wind Energy Facility (WEF) is operated by AGL. It is the largest wind facility in the Southern Hemisphere with 140 Vestas V112 3MW turbines totaling 420 MW. Operation commenced in late January 2013 and in just seven month local residents have been complaining of negative impacts.
The aim of this preliminary survey is to establish how many people are impacted by noise, shadow flicker and television or radio interference in the early period of operation. An objective of this survey was to identify the experiences of those who reside near to faility. The results of this initial survey will be included in a future survey and aims to promote further consideration and investigation into the health impacts of WEFs.
Key Findings
The key findings of this survey are as follows:
* 66% of the responding households were affected by the WEF.
* Of those households affected, 96% reported disturbance by the turbines during the day and 100% reported disturbance during the night (10pm-7am).
* Of those households affected, 91% reported negative changes to their health.
Survey Method
An anonymous self-reporting survey, map with distance bands so households could establish how far they reside from turbines and a letter of introduction, explaining the reasons for conducting the survey, was delivered within and near to the Macarthur WEF out to approximately 10 kilometres. Each survey was numbered to avoid tampering.
Recommendations and Conclusions
This preliminary survey of the impacts of the Macarthur wind energy facility has clearly identified that the WEF is having serious health and wellbeing impacts on many people living within its’ vicinity. It is clearly shown that noise, both audible and infrasound, is being generated by the Macarthur WEF and that this noise is causing sleep disturbance and harm.
Sleep is an essential part of healthy life and is recognised as a fundamental right by the World Health Organization (European Court of Human Rights) (1).
The planning schemes and noise standards used by the Victorian Government to regulate WEFs are obviously inadequate and are failing profoundly to protect citizens from harm. The acoustic modelling and siting of turbines is inappropriate and flawed.
The survey identifies the urgent need for support for impacted residents.
When the results of this preliminary survey are viewed in conjunction with the results of previous surveys and studies undertaken at Waubra, Waterloo and Cullerin Range, it is undeniably apparent that WEFs are having serious and detrimental impacts on the health and wellbeing of many people living in their vicinity.
These surveys clearly show the urgent need for a thorough review of audible and inaudible noise measurement and monitoring relating to wind energy facilities and the paramount need for independent multi-disciplinary studies.
