New South Wales is a hotbed of wind industry corruption of the kind that would keep its ICAC busy for a decade (see our posts here and here).
At the centre of the cesspit is the NSW Planning Department.
After being bombarded with complaints raised by wind farm neighbours about incessant turbine generated low-frequency noise and infrasound from public health disasters like Capital, Cullerin and Woodlawn, in 2012 and 2013, the Department commissioned an audit.
For a brief while, the audit reports appeared on the Department’s website and were generally available to the public.
However, without reason or explanation, the whole lot were removed without trace. Given the Department’s form (including getting its planning officers to rewrite a purportedly independent noise report to help the developer win approval), STT suspects just a little wind industry pressure was behind the removal.
The timing also smacks of wind industry corruption (of the ‘Follow the Money‘ kind), as the documents themselves would have helped throw light on the noise ‘rules’ written by the industry, in order to allow them to ride roughshod over well-settled rights; like the right to live, sleep in and to otherwise enjoy your very own home (see our post here).
Those rules include the SA EPA’s wind farm noise guidelines, that were written by wind industry pets, Sonus (see our post here) and make the ridiculous claim that “modern wind farms” don’t produce infrasound (see our post here).
Next month, the SA EPA is purporting to carry out a review of its wind farm noise guidelines. What was removed from the NSW Planning Dept’s website would have provided our SA operatives (as well as those elsewhere) with a barrage of helpful ammunition to belt the SA EPA with.
So, in a ‘it would be rude not to’ moment, STT is pleased to provide access to that which the wind industry and its puppets in the NSW Planning Department were so eager to conceal.
Enjoy what follows and use to your best advantage!
| Year | Month | Publisher | Title | Pages |
| 2012 | February | NSW Government P&I | Professional services brief | 15 |
| 2012 | March | NSW Government P&I | Conduct of wind farm audits | 2 |
| 2012 | May | NSW Government P&I | Wind farm Compliance Audit FAQs | 3 |
| 2012 | October | Renzo Tonin and Associates | Capital Wind Farm | 32 |
| Compliance Assessment Report Chapters 5-7 | 48 | |||
|
72 | |||
|
38 | |||
|
39 | |||
|
39 | |||
|
84 | |||
|
39 | |||
|
7 | |||
| 2012 | October | Renzo Tonin and Associates | Cullerin Range Wind Farm | 24 |
| Compliance Assessment Report Chapters 6-7 | 32 | |||
|
29 | |||
|
76 | |||
|
77 | |||
|
24 | |||
|
4 | |||
| 2012 | October | Renzo Tonin and Associates | Woodlawn Wind Farm | 19 |
| Compliance Assessment Report Chapters 5-6 | 33 | |||
|
37 | |||
|
40 | |||
|
27 | |||
|
28 | |||
|
28 | |||
| 2013 | February | NSW Government P&I | Capital Wind Farm | 30 |
| 4 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 20 | ||||
| 1 | ||||
| 2012 | September | Renzo Tonin | 2 | |
| 7 | ||||
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 1 | ||||
| 28 | ||||
| 2013 | February | NSW Government P&I | Cullerin Range Wind Farm Compliance Audit Report |
27 |
| 1 | ||||
| 11 | ||||
| 33 | ||||
| 1 | ||||
| 1 | ||||
| 2012 | September | Renzo Tonin | 2 | |
| 8 | ||||
| 6 | ||||
| 27 | ||||
| 2013 | February | NSW Government P&I | Woodlawn Wind Farm Compliance Audit Report |
19 |
| 6 | ||||
| 18 | ||||
| 1 | ||||
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 7 | ||||
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 33 | ||||
| 2013 | February | NSW Government P&I | Community Consultation | 45 |
| 2013 | December | NSW Government P&I | Media release | 1 |
| 2015 | November | Land and Environment Court | Draft Conditions: Development Application No DA0273/2014 | 12 |
| 2016 | April | Land and Environment Court NSW | Decision Woolcott Group Pty Limited v Rostry Pty Limited & Anor | 80 |
About stopthesethings
STOP THESE THINGS 
With the way the government/EPA twist and turn at covering up low frequency and infrasound impacts the “audit reports” show how to avoid addressing the actual issue.
It is appalling that Tonin could get away from undertaking a proper series of tests and not addressing the critical low frequency modulation at the infrasound rate and didn’t even use instrumentation that could record the blade pass frequencies. However, we understand it was a silent tender by the Department for the audit services.
We were wondering why a decision about a chicken farm was included by STT in the documents, that is until we saw Tonin was in that case . Whereas Cooper followed the EPA guidelines to the letter, Tonin sought in this case to put his interpretation (spin) and create something that was not there. But in an entirely different way to that when he was in a similar case but on the other side. Apparently Tonin bends with the whim of his client. Good on Commissioner Dixon to out Tonin on his unacceptable behaviour.
STT showed the extent of corruption in the Department with Tonin right in there collecting a big fat fee. Residents of Taralga and Cullerin don’t have very kind words to say about their dealings with Tonin (or the Department) so what other untruths did Tonin present to get the NHMRC grant? With further investigation?
Thank you STT and those who made these available – a good lesson into why we should keep our own copies of such things – However, here in SA I have had the occasion where I have saved documents from Government websites then changes are made to it at origin, I then find even my copy on my computer has automatically changed and I cannot access a copy of the original on the Government website! Another way to control what we have access to – so hard copy is probably the best thing to have, but it can be costly when documents can have many pages.
This sort of Government control over what we are able to see and save is an indication of a loss of Democracy and we are moving towards a position where we have less ability to keep Government accountable and honest.
Thanks STT for providing access to these important documents which were withdrawn from the public domain very soon after their original release.
Can’t think of any reason to keep them a secret, unless of course they contain something they don’t want us to know?
Well done and thank you STT for never taking your eye off the ball!
Hats off to you, STT. Once again, the politicians and wind industry have underestimated the intelligence and resourcefulness of campaigners.