Oberon Against Wind Towers

WATCH: The Oberon community gathered to share their thoughts on the proposed wind farm on June 27, 2024.

Transcript

00:00As you know, there's been a lot of publicity with Lithgow just recently, and we've heard

00:19that they're a nuclear free zone.

00:22Now, will our new councillors declare Oberon a renewable free zone?

00:29Yes! Yes, Brian!

00:31That's a very good question, Brian.

00:36Well, at the moment, Brian, as you know, Brian's one of our inaugural and most magnificent

00:43committee members.

00:44Between him and Ian Gordon and Trish Gordon and Pam Della, we couldn't be in better hands.

00:52Brian has given us a curly one there.

00:55We're here tonight about wind towers.

00:58That's the fight we've got at the moment.

01:02That's the fight we're taking.

01:04So, you know, we've got many, many policies.

01:09We've got many things that we believe need to be improved in Oberon, but tonight's about

01:15wind towers.

01:16Sorry, Brian.

01:17Wind towers have about a 19-year life.

01:18Is that correct?

01:19That's about right.

01:20Depending who you talk to, the average is 20, and at the extreme, 25.

01:25Sometimes people say 15, but let's use 20 as an average.

01:28So we'd have to go through this disruption every 20 years?

01:32Well, I'm going against my own rules here, but I want to be really quick here.

01:36There's no zero target of 2050 that they're talking about.

01:40If we wake up tomorrow morning and the land is covered in towers and solar panels tomorrow

01:45morning, by the time we get to 2050, all of it needs to be replaced.

01:49So, anyway, back to your original thing, 20 years.

01:54Can you hear me?

01:56So the issue with this is a bit vexed.

02:00So say the life is 20 years, 25 years, and you receive your rental income that you've

02:05determined, and you're not happy, but we'll get to that a bit later.

02:10But the thing is, they have an option.

02:13The wind farm company has an option to quit at any time in the 20 years, and if they get

02:18to 20 years, they have an option to renew.

02:21Now, who can remember when solar panels were first introduced to labour?

02:28Yep?

02:29I remember because I was an accountant, and many clients were putting them on.

02:32They were getting...