Forums Report

8/6/2019 Forums Report

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FORUMS

REPORT

NEW ENGLAND TABLELANDS

COMMUNITY WIND FARM STUDY

MAY 2011


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FORUMS REPORT

TABLEOF CONTENTS

Armidale Community Forum....................... ................. .................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ......... .... 5Benefits................................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ............ ...... ..... ... 5

Challenges & Risks......................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ................. ...... ..... . 7

Key Principles.................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ............... ...... .... 10

Next Steps........................ .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ................... ................ ..... ..... 11

Uralla Community Forum........................ ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ....... ...... .... 13Benefits................................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ...... 13

Challenges & Risks......................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ............ ..... ...... ... 14

Key Principles.................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ............... ...... .... 15

Priority Next Steps......................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ................... ......... 16

Kyabra Landholder Forum....................... ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ........ ..... .. 18Benefits................................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ...... 18

Challenges & Risks......................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ............ ..... ...... ... 18Key Principles.................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ............... ...... .... 19


Walcha Community Forum......................... ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ................. ..... ...... . 21Benefits................................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ...... 21


Key Principles.................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ............... ...... .... 22


Investor Forum....................... .................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ............... ...... ... 24Benefits................................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ...... 24


Key Principles.................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ............... ...... .... 26Priority Next Steps......................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ................... ......... 27

Glen Innes Community Forum....................... ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ....... 28Benefits................................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ...... 28


Key Principles.................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ............... ...... .... 30


Other Comments (Anonymous)................. ................... .................. ................... .................. .................. ................... .................. ................... .... 31

COMMUNITY WIND FARM STUDY Page 2 of 31


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FORUMS REPORT



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GOVERNANCE MODEL OPTIONS ANALYSIS

ARMIDALE COMMUNITY FORUM

BENEFITS

Empowerment, Local autonomy, independence:

Possibility of greater responsibility for demand reduction/management

Empowerment

Encourage further action

Energy independence

Involvement encourages interest, disperses knowledge and a feeling of

were doing something about a need that is essential that we meet. Setting up distribution network so shareholders and community can buy

electricity directly rather than selling to a third party.

Community develops understanding of

Electricity system

Real costs/impacts/benefits

How to do big business initiatives as a community and ideas for doing

better in future

Community controls policy

Owners are us! So more accessible Empowerment

High visibility: proving that people can make the changes they want to see

themselves, rather than relying on the government

Community building & linkage

Give a strong sense of community to our region

Community and individual awareness

Secure future supply

Future proof against global interests

Profits returned to community

Control over energy production

Locally owned (not multinational & for export)

Locally produced energy directly benefitting community

Ownership and responsibility for sustainable future response to clean

energy production and reduce our waste.

Transparency



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Financial/Economic Benefits:

Employment

Revenues are kept within

Employment local jobs

Potential for revenue to be returned to the community

Whole new industry for region

Jobs

Tourism

Economic - return on investment

A welcome source of income for farmers (rental of land for turbines)

Clean Energy ~ Not polluting, not coal:

Positive & clean

Clean energy

Clean

Decreased need for coal (stop a few mines happening?)

Contribution to clean energy

Reduce possibility of further environmental degradation such as coal seam

drilling

Educational Benefits:

Community education/learning

spin-off experience from other projects

Opportunity to document process and establish a model that can be sold

on to others (i.e. use it for capital gain both financially and socially)

Education

Setting example

Community education

Visual Benefits

Fits the landscape

Identity to community & aesthetic appeal



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Technical Benefits

Localised power for total energy independence ultimately using biogas,

co-generation wind mix. Result: no expensive cable connections to the

biggest power user, the grid. Local energy with minimal power lines minimises the line losses of about

50% of coal-fired generation

Miscellaneous Issues:

Medaway Industrial Park Uralla has grid connections already established

Link it with solar and Uralla becomes energy independent

Recycling hydro dam generation as proposed by Zinhi Buzo for the Styx

River would provide base load

CHALLENGES& RISKS

Siting & Environmental Challenges:

Finding suitable site

Environmental challenge

Placement disputes, long term

What is proposed method for identifying potential sites for turbines, andwhat incentives are there for landholders - equity, site rental?

Being muscled out of the most suitable sites by the big corporations

Where to put it

Complaints about land vandalism caused by wind farms

Location is paramount: not too close to residents, 35db at base of turbine is

not where most noise is problematic.

Away from wildlife corridors

Public opposition/compensation will be a challenge re: noise, site, impact

on quality of life for some Potential adverse impact on biodiversity (esp. birds) and scenic impact

(huge size)

Resources required to construct (how big a hole in the ground to mine the

metal?)

Noise infrasound & natural habitat destruction

Environmental impacts: flora and fauna, threatened species and

ecological communities

Specifically habitat removal, collision mortalities (birds and bats)



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FORUMS REPORT

Its about appropriate siting

Impacts of intense storm events

Key principle: Priority given to sensitive turbine locations

dealing with myths e.g. noise effects on health Idea: Look into crown land close to town e.g. town reserves lookouts etc.

Funding Challenges:

Keeping the fundraising impetus long enough to achieve the goal

Raising the capital how many people contributing how much?

Cost

Getting investors

Raising enough money

Competition from large investors

Funding

Raising funds to purchase land

Getting the right price for sale for investors to invest

Raising the money,

Tax implications of being an energy producer

Cost

Governance/Organisational Structure Challenges:

Financial responsibility

Ownership structure

Governance issues

Developing an equitable investment model and company structure

Corporate governance

Lack of expertise (initially)

Management maintenance

Community division e.g about a particular site/location has to be dealt

with and survived by people managing the windfarm organisation, not justby the authority determining whether to approve it

To work out organisational structure

Lack of expertise



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Red Tape & Government Regulation Challenges:

Changes in government policy in regard to cost of carbon

Government red tape

Local government development guidelines will they be accommodating? Government input into carbon pricing

Getting governments to commit

Technical Challenges:

Technical challenges

Grid connection power wasted when grid goes down (same as solar),

need power companies on board

Other Challenges:

Division of communities

Takeover by state for later privatisation for profit or loss-offsetting, once

proven successful

Permission from Transgrid and local power companies

Time

Need to have education from people who have lived near windfarms

they can and do cause major impact on many peoples quality of life

(through infra sound etc)

20 year lifespan oil needed to replace them?



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FORUMS REPORT

KEYPRINCIPLES

Community consultation to develop blueprint

Preferential local use/consumption/self sufficiency

Local decision making

Role of community organisations

Mutual structure/cooperative: one person, one vote

Management of influence Energy justice

Local jobs

Viable business model

Security of advance deposits

Source of funds/who can invest?

Maximum investment?

Tax exempt

Trading ability



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Part of an overall energy plan

Possible staged development

Transparency/accountability

Viability all fronts Triple bottom line

NEXTSTEPS

Options paper for comment & critique

Legal governance framework

Investment model

Inform public education campaign Locations/sites based on research

Formal approaches to Councils get some champions

Experienced others to talk to community.

Get Tony Windsor and Richard Torbay involved



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FORUMS REPORT



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URALLA COMMUNITY FORUM

BENEFITS

Empowerment. Local autonomy, Independence:

Move towards self-sufficiency

Innovation generally

Starting early just after the first community wind farm in Australia is nearly

established.

Local power production

Local control of energy production

Community satisfaction from ownership/involvement Community power and leadership

Independence from broader, non-sustainable political decision makers

Opportunity for the community to have a direct financial input into

environmentally beneficial community based programs

Community input into siting/location of turbines

Financial & Economic:

Security of affordable supply

Hopefully cheaper, sustainable power

Clean Energy, not polluting, not coal:

Clean energy

Brilliant renewable energy all for it

Anything that helps the environment is good

Lessen reliance on fossil fuel in our community

Reduction of coal-fired power stations

Reduction of greenhouse gases

Obvious benefits to environment

Covering your own footprint

Visual Benefits

They look great



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FORUMS REPORT

Miscellaneous Issues:

How long is it before the embodied cost of setting up wind farm is

recouped?

Locating 6 turbines, easier than 100s Opportunity for best practice looking at the whole sustainability picture

CHALLENGES& RISKS

Siting & Environmental Challenges:

Dangers to birds high lagoons, migrating birds

Infra sound

Potential negative impact on fauna species & vegetation clearing, road

construction, power lines (?underground) to turbines.

Clearing trees

Noise complaints

Ugly to look at

High voltage power lines

Site security (staking claim)

Find a good site Land owners acceptance

Wind fluctuates

Funding Challenges:

Ability to compete with commercial companies - $10 25billion

investments

Getting the $$$

Governance/Organisational Structure Challenges: Rules of investment in co-ops

Red Tape/Government Regulation Challenges:

Government policy shifts

Technical Challenges:

Direct supply of electricity to members



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Other Challenges:

Too small to make a difference?

Community anxiety (personal and property damage)

Create division in the community Comparing wind with alternative energy sources for: cost, embedded

energy, other challenges and risks

From Suggestion Box:

Lets look at setting up a monitoring study to investigate before & after (if

any!) impacts on fauna. Opportunity for our UNE partner. Could feed into

body of science and perhaps alleviate concerns in other communities.

Some thought given to establishing an independent local distribution grid

maybe using some % of the community return of investment.

KEYPRINCIPLES

Accessing information from Hepburn and others

Membership structure is clear and doesnt change

Triple Quadruple bottom line: economic, social, environmental, governance

Getting the right site:

Close to grid Good wind

Already cleared

Away from houses

Not in bird path

Community support

Access (all weather)

Ethical

Environmental

Local ownership proportion to be set Financing

Returns to investors plus returns to the is return comparable?

Two thirds investors, one third borrowing

Local investors (individuals) treated same as other investors

Pay for self and renewal

Sourcing of materials/practical

Certainty of wind for investors



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FORUMS REPORT

PRIORITYNEXTSTEPS

Timeline and projections (to include sell/share knowledge)

Costings for different sizes Clarifying

Staging of investments

Consider piggybacking on a commercial wind farm

Accessing seed funding (use for further investigation)

Identify people with money

Measuring wind

Identify & investigate sites



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FORUMS REPORT



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FORUMS REPORT

KYABRA LANDHOLDER FORUM

BENEFITS

Clean power, local power

Benefits cleaner air

Money focussed back into our own community, rather than going out in

many directions, in super funds

Local (independent) energy generation

People coming together with a common cause, bringing back community

social benefits Community taking responsibility for their energy needs in a sustainable way

CHALLENGES& RISKS

Getting agreement as to type of ownership

Get lost in a forest of turbines

Farmers would want assurity that the site is accessible to the right people.

Needs to be mindful of the farmers point of view erosion if road for

instance

Community perceptions re: amenity/noise issues

Challenges to get enough money to invest

New super fund?

Able to pull out

Electricity prices, how secure long-term financial return

$$

Government policy especially renewables



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KEYPRINCIPLES

Transparency

Keep it Simple!

Good board and management

Spread benefits and risks widely

Local investors only e.g. Community Mutual - local $, stay local

Set a percentage for local funding

Return of 10% to 12% (cf. stock market 6% to 12%)

Set a percentage of profit for community purposes

Voting control

Keep governance local Learn from local government investments (Fanny May etc)

Low minimum investment per person, say $500.

Insure risks (e.g damage to sites for roads etc)

Bring community together

PRIORITYNEXTSTEPS

Clear business model, including turbines financial return

A documentary to promote and educate include interviews with peoplefrom Hepburn

Consult on possibilities of a new super fund getting pro-bono advice from

e.g. Price Waterhouse, KPMG, Ernst & Young etc.

Measure the wind

Positive promotion, particularly directed to ordinary people, especially

urban.

What about Bendemeer? We are on the border of any Government project

or such. Why not hold a forum in Bendemeer?



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FORUMS REPORT



21/31


WALCHA COMMUNITY FORUM

BENEFITS

Community ownership

A cooperative scheme would mean the community/investors would feel

they had a degree of control over their investment (as opposed to, say, a

government owned scheme or large commercial operator.

Community ownership

Shifting the energy debate from government to taking the lead from the

people people power. Direct sale/use of electricity (e.g. Council, hospital)

Support and cooperation from local Council

Jobs for local residents

Potential to partner with UNE for research projects extend business

Keep profits local diversify income, ownership

Wind is free, clean and never-ending

Carbon trading benefits

CHALLENGES& RISKS

Complaints from nearby residents who are not benefitting financially

A small community may divide fairly strongly for and against wind farms

Visual and other effects on rural landscape

Community acceptance of wind energy

Pressure to succeed is higher i.e. other commercially-owned companies

may be able to spread cost of low wind times over numerous regions

Getting the message out competing with commercials Responsibility maintenance

Liability

Working out the details

Technical challenges greater for community than commercial



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FORUMS REPORT

KEYPRINCIPLES

To benefit all community, the benefits need to go back via Councils or

other broader, rather than just the shareholders

Legally incorporated in unlisted public company

Direct benefits in ? lower electricity costs

Research and learn from other projects (e.g. Hepburn)

Council involvement (they have prior history of energy supply)

Locate close to grid & not near homes

Open processes

Structure: public company, transparent

Take advantage of e.g. carbon trading A way to sell/interest people in project

Work out key objectives e.g. carbon/sustainability/local enterprise

Majority control to be local, set a %

Genuinely hearing and responding to peoples concerns

Building knowledge in the community, starting small.

PRIORITYNEXTSTEPS

Wheres the wind? Business plan

Establish financial returns for landholders and investors

Reach as many people as possible more publicity, including benefits and

risks an open process

Consider smaller project, to start

Get direct experience either locally or a study trip

Build relationships/negotiate with (?competitors) Essential Energy/Country

Energy/the Grid

Need plan for post-feasibility study who will follow up, what next Investigate partnership with commercial developer



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FORUMS REPORT



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FORUMS REPORT

INVESTOR FORUM

BENEFITS

Miniturisation

Get plans and build turbines here

18% + ethical

UNE land for siting

Ring Main Supply

Preferred Place; EVO Cities; reputation of the region; reputation; lifestyle

Provide a focus for community energy efficiency an other small scalecogeneration projects synergy and partnerships

Sustainable energy resource; Clean energy; Clean power generation

Localised electricity production; smaller loss in grid; reduced energy losses

Employment opportunities; Local employment; creation of jobs

Research opportunities; development of alternative technology

Future benefits for the environment are enormous

Community involvement

Localised investment; ongoing investments; clean ethical investment;

incentive for investing Community-run, self-sustaining electricity; renewable energy source not

reliant on others outside community;

Government seed project

Increased population (?)

Reduction in GHG emissions; reduction of carbon footprint

Support and access to expertise not necessarily available to individuals.

Carbon credit generation; carbon credits?;

Sustainability



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CHALLENGES& RISKS

Decrease in purchase/ wholesale price because of increased grid costs

The grid

Storage/ waste electricity

1 person 1 vote: prone to capture/ stacking/ carpet bagging; eg. CMG

2% of people attend and vote = a silent majority.

How much experience around the world in life of equipment?

Miniturisation may not be so important in the New England

How to keep it local if we get outside funds

Monopoly if not owned by community control

Hail damage? Unemployment

Technology redundant in a short time loss of funds

Financial support; raising the finance

Confidence

Attracting technical skills

Training

Debate/ politics

Job loss (referring to a perception that Renewable energy generation will

take less jobs than coal generation) financial effect of. Opportunity cost

Big business snapping up the best sites before community support is

established

Securing suitable sites in acceptable areas for adjoining land owners

Viability of the grid itself

Carbon tax?

Degrading of infrastructure (from memory this was about NEW needing to

think about the possibility of contributing to grid upgrade and

maintenance, as well as the 20-30 yr lifespan of turbines before needingrefurbishment)

Alienation of sectors of the community

Marketing and management of adverse comments and negativeness

Suitable legal structures



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FORUMS REPORT

KEYPRINCIPLES

More people to benefit from NEW then less negative resistance

Risk spread around and therefore increase chance of getting off the

ground; risk spread.

Transparency

KISS information

Board: business, merit and skills based, technical, corp law, acct (?)

Governance role for LGA

ROI and Feel Good; 10% plus return

Reflect community values

Balance financial aspects with community values Offset rising electricity prices; lock in a price for electricity for a given time

How do we own it? Rates adjustment?

Ability to sell shares; liquidity and depth in share market

Carbon franking credit

Prevent foreign investors from buying it out

Have clear, set mission, purpose, vision, strategy to then drive a marketing

plan

Dominant local community ownership

Needs a very strong financial underpinning: profit = return Idea of having a local price discount and a export price premium (ie. Pay

less for local electricity and more for electricity that has had to travel a

long way)

Classes of shares

Local with voting and governance rights

Structure: separate business from operational arm; authorisation/ investment

arm; business/community arm.



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PRIORITYNEXTSTEPS

Governance Structure foster community control, stop it from going

offshore, limit institutional investor bought voting control

Communicating what real, valid concerns and whats not substantiated

(noise, birds, look)

Strong educational base

Concise, organised, packaged

Price it

Prospectus

Seed funding



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FORUMS REPORT

GLEN INNES COMMUNITY FORUM

BENEFITS

A better future money for community.

People controlling local power

Clean power

If it works, community pride, sense of achievement

Towers allow land usage as usual

Long term investment 20 years +

Clean energy Joint venture: public listed company allows shares to be traded

If the community wind towers could be off the private companies

Line of sight consultation a must do

Are state land reserves etc available rather than private land

Local/regional ownership

Cooperative, not a profit-oriented structure/framework

Local employment, IF Govt supports training of locals

Reduction of greenhouse gases (far more effective than taxing the current

systems to discourage use) Potential to continue using the land as before

Flow-on financial benefits to the community.

Environmental benefits less effects into the future than coal

Financial benefits cheaper energy source

Employment benefits

Great source of renewable energy to be used in conjunction with solar

units

Clean wind always available

Community ownership

More affordable electricity

Symbol of what community stands for

Community based much more preferable

Eliminates the developer

$44M 7PA to latch on to other existing development



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CHALLENGES& RISKS

Can divide the community.

Visually ugly

Wind and solar only produce for 4 6 hours per day

500m safe zone has been suggested = 1km

Noise from towers travels on the wind, not fall below

Financial: $2-3 million 30% top production

Challenges:

Raising capital required

Get agreement on location, height of towers etc

Investment potential: what guarantees are there for shareholders? Lifespans, quality, maintenance

Existing negative community perceptions

Risks

Fire

Flying debris

Ice

Health insurance

Bird kills

Air spraying and towers Risks

Health

Valuation on land

Impact on peoples livesthe ones that dont want a wind tower

Lightning

Impact on wild life

Noise: at base noise would be minimal because its going over you.

Lifespan of towers and turbines

Maintenance costs Responsibility

Challenges

Community opinion

Training program and jobs

Management of project

Risks

Noise, visual impact, devaluation of land

Small player in a big grid



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FORUMS REPORT

Entry and tenure in a the state/national grid system

KEYPRINCIPLES

Do it ourselves. Eliminate the developers

Benefit both sides: community and developers

Include community right from the beginning

Line of site communication

NSW govt training to create local employment

Get good people for management/board

Structure: prevent negative influence of a few ?re voting influence.

Inclusive/ right to a voice Return on investment

Return a profit to the communityenhance community spirit

Investigate size/capacity of turbines and maintenance requirements

Avoid environmentally sensitive areas

Consider attachment to a commercial wind farm

Educate the community

Members

?only from New England.

? only individuals ? Councils

Councils on side

Transparency, good & bad

Independent legal advice

PRIORITYNEXTSTEPS

Feasibility study expertise

Formal approaches to existing projects for expertise & ownership

Public education campaign full disclosure

Web site with full information totally open

Research financial/technical

Study visit to existing wind farm

Who is Starfish Enterprises?

Generate a lot more interest

Existing info on community co-ops



31/31


OTHERCOMMENTS(ANONYMOUS)

Some matters not dealt with: property devalued if you want to sell when

property surrounded by wind farms. Thanks you for allowing us to vent. You listened to all our views. It was a

change to what we have in the past.

To certainly pursue the community wind farm for interested persons not

tainted with the negative effects from the commercial farm to be

established in our area and to ensure all interested community members

gain complete satisfaction with the communication process involved.

Any steering/exploratory committee to be identifiably New England

people.

I dont think it will be good to add any more towers than what is alreadyforced upon the community. Piggy backing would be the only way.

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