No one has to suffer endless sleepless nights caused by wind turbines without redress or compensation. It’s the law.
On that score, a group of farmers has turned the tables on the wind farm operator who has been driving them mad since March 2015. Back then, Japan’s Mitsui and Co speared 52, 2 MW Senvion MM92 turbines into Victoria’s Bald Hills generating a cacophony of thumping, grinding soul destroying low-frequency noise.
The farmers surrounding the Bald Hills in Victoria’s Gippsland have been driven mad by wind turbine noise.
But they didn’t take it lying down.
Instead, they lawyered up. Engaging the feisty and tenacious Dominica Tannock.
Starting in April 2016, Dominica went after the South Gippsland Shire Council which, under the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 has responsibility for investigating nuisance complaints and a statutory obligation to remedy all such complaints within its municipal district.
After a series of brilliant tactical victories against the Council, Dominica helped local farmers institute proceedings in the Victorian Supreme Court, based on common law nuisance and seeking substantial damages from the operator, Mitsui.
Initially, the original action involved six plaintiffs, who were joined by seven more. Since then, all bar two of them have settled their claims.
STT hears that those who have settled will pocket very substantial settlements from their tormentor (based on other settlements reached with farmers in Victoria, each of them will receive well over $1million and most a figure closer to $2million).
The remaining plaintiffs are hell-bent on extracting aggravated and exemplary (punitive) damages from the defendant and, given Dominica Tannock’s renowned tenacity, are odds-on to get them.
Here’s an update on the action.
Turbine noise goes on trial
Sentinal Times
Editorial
3 August 2021
THE operators of the Bald Hills Wind Farm are scheduled to be back in the Supreme Court on Monday, September 6.
The case, being brought by some of the neighbouring landowners, is expected to decide once and for all whether the facility has caused “substantial and unreasonable interference with the use and enjoyment of the land” owned by its neighbouring farmers.
But it could be the State Government and not the operators of the facility that is ultimately at fault. There’s a lot at stake.
Not only are the lawyers for the aggrieved landowners seeking aggravated and exemplary damages, to compensate the plaintiffs for their distress and to punish the operators for their alleged wrongdoing, they are also seeking abatement of the noise, potentially involving the shutting down of the facility at night.
According to Dominica Tannock of DTS Legal, representing the local farmers, they are also seeking a declaration from the court that the wind farm does not comply with its planning permit, an argument they hope to advance by subpoenaing the Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne to appear.
Mr Wynne is resisting their attempts to have him appear, responding through the Victorian Government Solicitors Office that a new case in the Supreme Court is not the forum for reviewing the decision he made in 2019, that Bald Hills is operating in compliance with its planning permit, and that any complaints about breaches should go to VCAT.
“The Minister is not in a position to give evidence of any of the underlying facts of the operation of the wind farm, and is not qualified to give expert evidence on the issue of compliance with the New Zealand Standard as an objective question of fact.”
The letter, dated July 21, 2021, does however confirm that the Minister’s “satisfaction” that Bald Hills was operating within the conditions of its planning permit relied solely on noise monitoring data provided by the operators themselves.
“Condition 19 (including that noise levels should not exceed 40dBA or 5dBA against background noise, tighter restrictions at night) is a condition that requires compliance to the Minister’s satisfaction. In the Minister’s 2019 Decision, the Minister concluded that he was so satisfied. In these circumstances, the Plaintiffs’ claims for relief from alleged non-compliance with the Permit, and the identified basis for its Subpoena, are not appropriate or permissible,” according to the Victorian Solicitor’s Office, giving reasons.
If the court is able to rule that the Bald Hills Wind Farm is not operating under the terms of its planning permit, millions of dollars in wind energy income could be at risk, but it might be the government that is ultimately on the hook, not the operators.
Ms Tannock acknowledged the problem. “Yes, certainly, Bald Hills Wind Farm is saying that the Minister was satisfied that the facility was operating within its permit conditions, but what we want to ask the court, and why we have called the Minister, is ‘Are you still satisfied?’.
“Bald Hills is separately making application to change the conditions under which it operates at night. If they were compliant, why seek to change the conditions?”
Initially, six landowners at Tarwin Lower and Walkerville were joined in the action against the operators of the wind farm.
But four of them, the owners of the larger farming enterprises adjoining or in close proximity to the wind energy facility, have reached confidential, out-of-court settlements.
One of them reached a settlement late last week.
Two remain to take the case forward: Noel Uren, who no longer owns a farm in the area and a retired engineer, and John Zakula, who has a small landholding at Tarwin Lower.
Mr Uren, who declined to be quoted about the substance of the case, nonetheless said the case had the potential to have important ramifications for the operation of wind energy facilities across Australia and even overseas.
He said the case against Bald Hills was not diminished by the withdrawal of four of the complainants.
They have, however, not been asked to recant their complaints as part of the settlement and privately at least, stand behind their claims about the “loud drone, whining and roaring” noise coming from the turbines, for days and nights on end, one saying “the noise is so unbearable that she has to leave her home in order to get rest”.
Some kept diaries about the disturbance and commissioned their own noise monitoring that was at odds with the noise data submitted by contractors for the operators.
Others documented severe headaches and sleep deprivation from the thumping and whining of the turbine blades especially at night.
“A loud drone, could hear it over the TV, had to have TV up quite loud but couldn’t drown it out.”
Some local residents were forced out of their homes permanently, sold up and left.
After six years trying to get the responsible authorities, including the South Gippsland Shire and the State Government, to take action on their noise nuisance concerns, next month’s court case is expected to deliver a final solution, or at least a clear way forward.
Sentinal Times
STOP THESE THINGS 
In Ontario, more than half of the turbines of the largest project in the province, were finally deemed non-compliant for tonal noise after 4 years of intense effort made by residents.
https://london.ctvnews.ca/turbines-near-goderich-to-be-slowed-down-to-reduce-sound-1.4487408
Despite the news article announcing this major accomplishment for the residents who had to endure the noise, and the promise of derating of 89 turbines, residents waited and waited for improvements.After months of delay in derating, residents were told that instead of derating, the standards for non-compliance were adjusted so that the tonal noise was deemed acceptable!
When an FOI was filed to find out how that happened, they were told that they were not privy to the specific information they were requesting!
As someone who was forced out of their home by wind turbines I am delighted to see justice done somewhere at last. We must all keep fighting these greedy and corrupt wind farm companies.
Does Janet Holmes a court not know that bald hills is in Victoria ?
Does Janet Holmes a Court also not know that Simon Holmes a Court was responsible for turbines to be built so close to homes that the noise inside of a house from the turbines can be heard over the TV ?
Does Janet Holmes a court not know the Leonard’s Hill wind farm in non compliant because complaints were not investigated using proper sound measurement and assessment to meet Victorian EPA , NZS 6808 and IEC 61400 guidelines and standards .
It looks to me as though the Liberal Government of Tasmania is in deep trouble
I dont understand why wind farms are still being put close to where people live
It is thoughtless and dangerous to their health
It is good to see they stuck out going after the company and their portfolios for compensation. In theme of making those responsible pay, may I compare to in California the fitness industry was decimated by the lucrative endless corona virus fraud emergency and the fitness association CFA had filed suit against governor Newsom in 2020, certain health authorities, and ‘anyone else that might pop up as being involved’ in the criminal act of falsely declaring an emergency as discovery would initiate. This way those responsible would pay. They dropped their case after a year, made a deal with The Devil then The Devil told everyone “new variant” (with no evidence never isolated none of these viruses are isolated they are made up story telling while variants are as varied as snowflakes yet the same) telling everyone to mask up again with mask abuse that stop a ‘virus’ as well as the Golden Gate Bridge at 12x it’s current length stops a canoe with two people in it rowing under it, and this California Fitness Association is now telling everyone please contact your public official, you know the ones that all in lock step shut everything down needlessly, and ask for them to pass another ‘relief’ bill that would help fund health clubs. In other words they now want the public to pay for it instead of sticking it to those responsible. The government will just keep printing more money to pay for this one too while others like Reiner Fuellmich go after all of them as he’s suing governments and their leaders directly all around the world on the fraud. So this news on the victory for these great people who were harmed by wasteful wind installations is such as great way to start the day here where in Palm Springs there are over 2000+ of these puke energy machines and a new massively tall installation that just replaced 85 of those old steel lattice very short ones from the 1980’s where they of course had promised when their useful life is over they’d be removed but they installed 600 feet monsters right on top of the mountain. STT and everyone who’s helped spread knowledge on the fake clean energy fraud helps so much while it’s also vital to keep going after those responsible directly and support those efforts until 2050 when the goal is all wind installations are removed and the countrysides restored.
I think the authorities also have a lot to answer. It doesn’t matter if they are or are not ‘satisfied’ with the noise levels – they are complicit in ignoring the immense intrusion on people’s lifestyles and the flow on effects that has on their health.
Wife and I are depressed here in central Texas. Soon they are to turn on 100s of this wind junk The land prostitution is immense, and most are brainwashed natives as to its community benefits (a real joke). Authorities here have always been on a tight frugal budget, but now can raise their salaries significantly. Steve in Trump’s scumbelt TX
I agree wholeheartedly, George – authorities should listen and act on behalf of the people NOT an industry – had such problems occurred in a residential area from a factory or even a small workshop authorities would have taken action against the offender – what is different when the offending is in a rural area.