Rainforest Reserves Australia Media Release 5.04.23
Apple just walked away from the ecocidal Upper Burdekin Wind Farm project – now is the time for Twiggy to do the same
JUST ANNOUNCED: Apple, under guidance of CEO Tim Cook, has abandoned a multimillion-dollar electricity purchasing agreement with Twiggy Forrest-backed Windlab’s proposed Upper Burdekin Wind Farm. This is because of the catastrophic ecological impacts the project will inflict on threatened wildlife onsite including Endangered Koalas, Sharman’s Rock Wallabies, Greater Gliders and Red Goshawks. We urge Twiggy Forrest and Windlab to now do the right thing and throw the Upper Burdekin wind farm project out – or Forrest will forever have blood on his hands for driving our wildlife closer to extinction. Rainforest Reserves Australia has spear-headed the campaign to reject the Upper Burdekin wind farm on ecological grounds for the last 18 months – we’re pleased to see our advocacy gaining results.
A cursory glance at the Upper Burdekin wind farm draft Public Environment Report released last month reveals just how damaging the project will be to wildlife. Bordering the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area in Far North Queensland, the project area is a biodiversity hotspot. Here high elevation old growth habitat, replete with ancient granite rock formations, is home to the little- known Sharman’s Rock Wallaby. This species has a tiny range of only around 200,000 hectares – the smallest of any Rock Wallaby in Australia. There are only 800 – 1000 individuals left and if approved, 662 hectares of their habitat will be destroyed. This is an impact which cannot be offset, no matter how Windlab spin it.
Image above: A Sharman’s Rock Wallaby photographed on the site of a proposed wind turbine pad at the site of proposed Upper Burdekin wind farm, FNQ.
The site is also a stronghold for Endangered Northern Koalas, who are smaller and lighter coloured than their southern counterparts, and able to survive much warmer temperatures. The healthy Northern Koala population onsite may be critical to the overall survival of the species and this alone is reason the project should be abandoned. If approved, the Upper Burdekin Wind Farm will result in 746 hectares of Koala habitat destruction.
Even a Red Goshawk, Australia’s rarest raptor, was spotted during an ecological survey here. Witnessing a Red Goshawk in the wild is for most bird lovers, a dream never to be realised. The Red Goshawk siting is casually mentioned in the Upper Burdekin wind farm draft PER, the raptor then revealed to be “moderate risk of turbine strike”. The Red Goshawk stands to lose 754 ha of its critical habitat if the project is approved, as well as facing possible death from impact with expansive spinning turbine blades.
Image above: Koala sits next to the proposed haulage road alignment for the proposed Upper Burdekin Wind Farm, FNQ.
Rainforest Reserves Australia has been raising public awareness about the unacceptable ecological impacts of poorly sited wind developments in North Queensland since mid 2021. We’ve conducted our own independent observations of the terrain near the Upper Burdekin wind farm site, and observed the wildlife of the landscape firsthand. We can confirm the area at stake is a biological hotspot.
“Now is the time for Twiggy Forrest and Windlab to discard the Upper Burdekin wind farm plan. We know Australia is a world leader in extinctions, so carrying on with this project is madness. It’s a terrible look for Twiggy Forrest to be caught up in threatened species annihilation for the sake of “green” energy. Just like Tim Cook and Apple, he needs to do the right thing and throw the plans for Upper Burdekin wind farm in the bin.” states conservationist Steven Nowakowski.
“Renewables don’t get a free pass to decimate old growth habitat, home to critically Endangered species. Conserving remnant habitat and biodiversity is key in the bid to stop climate change. Destroying our wilderness landscapes for “green” electricity is an oxymoron. Leave our ancient forests alone – they’re already storing carbon, sequestering water, promoting the rain cycle, cooling the earth and performing functions we probably don’t even understand yet. ” states Nowakowski.
Media contact: Steven Nowakowski
Image above: mapping of turbine locations at proposed Upper Burdekin wind farm.
Image above: The site of the Upper Burdekin wind farm. Ancient granite rock formations , deep gorges and exceptional remnant vegetation.
