ENGIE Visits Region for Hills of Gold Community Information Sessions

Major changes to ENGIE’s proposed Hills of Gold Wind Farm near Nundle will be discussed at a series of community information sessions across the region next week.

ENGIE’s General Manager, Asset Development, Andrew Kerley says the community information sessions provide a forum to discuss the company’s Response to Submissions, which was lodged to the NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment last month.

“Our Response to Submissions is a 2000-page document that addresses matters raised during the public exhibition period,” Mr Kerley said.

“We hope residents use these sessions to ask questions about our Response to Submission, as it is vital that we understand the community’s views. We’ll also explain the additional work ENGIE has undertaken, which has resulted in major project changes.”

The changes include a 41 per cent reduction of the proposed development footprintas well as the removal of five wind turbines.

There will also be a 36 per cent reduction in impacts to native vegetationand a 29 per cent reduction in impacts to koala habitat.

“A bypass of Devil’s Elbow has also been designed by an experienced civil engineering design consultant, which will see oversize and overmass vehicles taken onto a private road,” said Mr Kerley.“

We will have digital visualisations of this bypass design available at the community information sessions, to give residents an idea of how it will look.

”If approved, ENGIE’s Hills of Gold Wind Farm will generate enough renewable energy to power around 182,000 average Australian homes and reduce annual carbon emissions by 608,000 tonnes.