7.09.2023

Media statement in response to Ark Energy reducing the Chalumbin wind development number of wind turbines to 42 and renaming it “Wooroora Station wind farm”, announced on 5.09.23

Why should our wildlife die for a wind turbine?

In the face of staunch opposition, foreign-owned Ark Energy is now frantically attempting to get the ecocidal Chalumbin wind development (near Ravenshoe, Far North Queensland) over the line.

Their rebrand of Chalumbin wind development to “Wooroora Station wind farm” (announced on 5.09.23) is pathetically transparent. Their pivot to scale back the sprawling wind factory to 42 turbines can’t fix the main issues: the boundary of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area is entirely the wrong place for a wind development, and there is no social license for this development.

Poorly sited wind developments can adversely affect wild animals both directly, via collisions, as well as indirectly due to noise pollution, habitat loss, and reduced survival or reproduction. Siting matters, and in the case of the proposed Chalumbin wind development which is proposed to be installed along the western boundary of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, this one of the worst locations imaginable in the entire country!

The proposed 42 turbines will be installed in the most ecologically sensitive wilderness in the entire land parcel: the western boundary of the iconic, globally significant Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. This is not “nature positive” as Ark Energy’s Anthony Russo states, anything but.

The site of the proposed Chalumbin wind development should be a National Park. Here is stunning remnant intact habitat home to threatened species such as the Spectacled Flying Fox, the Northern Masked Owl, the Magnficent Brood Frog and the Northern Greater Glider. Here are feeding trees for extremely rare Northern Koalas and the likely hunting grounds of the Red Goshawk. The mature forests contain rare tree hollows that are homes to possums, gliders and birds. What a remarkable landscape - it's unthinkable to destroy it.

Ark Energy have provided little detail about the new proposal. We say the apparent relocation of some turbines should mean the proponent go through the State approval process again and submit a new Referral and Public Environment Report to the Federal Government. Ark Energy should go back to the start of the approval process for the sake of transparency.

The new map provided by Ark Energy does not indicate areas “of concern” remnant growth. Perhaps they don’t want us to know how much remnant habitat they will destroy?

Some of the 42 turbines and the haulage road appear to be carved directly into areas “of concern” remnant habitat along the western boundary of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. This is an industrial-scale incursion into fragile, ancient, irreplaceable habitat. This landscape can never be restored. Once habitat is clear-felled, weeds are introduced, feral species gain easy access, and cattle move in. Decimation of nature ensues.

Numerous turbines are to be only a kilometre away from the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Only in Queensland can a proponent dream of getting away with a wind development only 1km away from a globally significant landscape. It’s insanity! If this proposal were submitted in Victoria and proposed to be sited in the Dandenong Ranges or the Yarra Valley, it would be rejected outright. Ark Energy are capitalising on Queensland’s lax wind farm planning guidelines and must take us for blithering fools – but we know better!

No lasting jobs will be provided by the Chalumbin wind development. Most of the jobs will be short term for FIFO workers during the construction phase, not locals. The community of Ravenshoe won’t benefit from this development. Instead, their little piece of paradise will be further defiled by another developer that gets away with trashing the biodiverse land we hold dear. It’s not right!

The renaming of the proposed Chalumbin wind farm to Wooroora Station wind farm is farcical. The proponent’s motivations are clear. They imagine if they rename the development after the cattle station on which it’s to be built on, we’ll be fooled into thinking the land is degraded. It’s not. Most of the land is remnant in good health. Landscape on the steep ridgelines where the turbines are plotted is likely in extremely good condition. These remote, cool and misty inclines are where threatened species such as Northern Greater Gliders live undisturbed. These landscapes are unique and precious and must be protected.

There is no social license for this project. The community of Ravenshoe stand strong against the Chalumbin wind development. They have seen first-hand the destruction wrought for Kaban wind development. They don’t want their serenity destroyed for another foreign-owned wind development that will kill bats, raptors and other wildlife.

The Chalumbin wind development must now be rejected. We are in a biodiversity crisis and a climate crisis. The intact forests at risk already fight climate change and are home to threatened species. Leave them alone!

It is in the public interest for Minister Tanya Plibersek to now SAY NO to this ecocidal proposal.

Adjunct Professor Tim Nevard has stated on Chalumbin wind development: “It’s far and away most important value is part of the buffer of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, which runs down it’s western boundary and therefore is somewhere which should remain inviolate. We’re talking about the most important area of biodiversity in Australia and to put something which is essentially an industrial land use with massive change in the local environment, roads, turbines, access arrangements etc, right next door to it is nothing short of foolish”

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ermlV-TFbtU  

Environmental scientist Pamela Jones states: “The site of the wind farm lies within the catchment area of the Great Barrier Reef and parts of the eastern boundary of the site are contiguous with the World Heritage Wet Tropics Area. This area was named by the IUCN as the second most valuable natural site in the world. It has been recognised for a long time that a barrier protection area is needed next to the World Heritage Area. The ecological value of wet tropical forest is increased by the presence of wet sclerophyll forest beside it.

Ark Energy divided the “Chalumbin” wind farm into 2 stages just before issuing the PER for comment by the public. Stage 1 turbines, roads and other infrastructure were mostly in dense, biodiverse forested areas. Stage 2 had areas of more open woodland where cattle grazed and there were some weed and pest infested areas. The forest and waterways of Stage 2 area were still of major importance from a biodiversity viewpoint but not as critical. As a last-ditch stand, Ark Energy has put in a variation of the project to government. If they had really wished to improve the impact of the project, it might have made sense to remove the turbines of Stage I and keep Stage 2.

But, No! Their new concept has basically removed turbines from the Stage 2 area and left the turbines of Stage 1. In other words, they have not removed the major environmental impacts of the proposed project but are making it sound as if they had. Their statements are extremely misleading and only careful perusal of their press release makes this apparent. It was not until we had a clear map of the turbine removal and remaining sites that the real situation could be seen. The press release states that the project completely avoids wet sclerophyll forest adjoining the World Heritage Area. Further information in the document states that “These changes reduce the impacts of the development to 0.7% of wet sclerophyll within 10 km of the project area.” These are carefully worded statements and are very misleading.

The offsets are a joke as are so many other statements made in their press release.

Do not be fooled! Yet again they show pictures of cattle grazing areas not areas where the turbines will be built.”

President of Rainforest Reserves Carolyn Emms comments that “Kaban and Mount Emerald wind developments on the Atherton Tablelands are already annihilating bird and bat life. These developments have already destroyed precious ancient wilderness. Chalumbin, if approved, will compound the annihilation. We cannot lose more of our wilderness and wildlife. The cumulative impacts are too great” .

PLEASE COME ALONG: Rainforest Reserves Australia are holding a final rally for Chalumbin this Saturday, 10am to 12pm at Lions Park in Ravenshoe. We invite all to attend and stand up for nature.