DEAR News Of The Area,

ON Thursday 15 September in Opinions and Letters, Eugene Lumbers spoke of misinformation.

No Offshore Turbines Port Stephens (NOTPS) is waiting for someone to please come forward and make it clear exactly what misinformation is allegedly being spread.

Port Stephens MP, Kate Washington, recently spoke in the NSW parliament, labelling as misinformation the fact that every offshore turbine would be 260 metres tall.

In fact, that figure is taken from the responsible federal department website.

The honourable member also said that only one small area of turbines were being constructed. However, seven other offshore investment corporations are in the process of resubmitting applications that would utilise the whole zoned area.

There is genuine misinformation around suggestions that the public has been adequately consulted.

So far, only one public consultation session has been held – at Nelson Bay.

Other talks have been with stakeholders, not the general public.

There has also been plenty of misinformation about whether the hundreds of turbines would be seen from the shore.

Both Federal Minister Chris Bowen and Paterson MP, Meryl Swanson, confirmed in a meeting behind closed doors in late September last year that the turbines would be visible in daylight – and there was no mention back then of all the high intensity red flashing navigational lights at night.

And there is constant misinformation that turbines would act as reefs and create nurseries that attract larger fish.

In fact, scientists have stated there is no data to say that this could occur with floating turbines. In Portugal where there is one floating wind factory (three turbines, 185m tall) fishermen have reported that “the fish simply disappeared”.

The simple fact is that there is no scientific proof at all, because nowhere else on the planet has established 300 or more anchored floating turbines in any body of water – let alone one that is located directly adjacent one of the busiest ports in the southern hemisphere; in a whale migratory path (apparently the two don’t play well in the sandpit together); and in an area where threatened migratory birds would need to navigate around, through or over the blades.

And that doesn’t even touch on the fact that this is directly off one of the best tourist destinations in Australia that is heavily reliant on people being able to sit on a beach and enjoy an un-industrialised view (save a few moving ships from time to time).

It is logical, not misinformation, to question the impact on local businesses if there is a 15-20 percent drop in trade because families don’t want holiday here.

It’s also fact, not any misinformation, that 90 percent of all flathead that end up in the Sydney fish markets are taken from within the wind turbine zone.

The biggest and best game fishing areas in the southern hemisphere sit nearly entirely within the zone.

Prawns and lobsters are caught in large numbers and migrate through the area that has been zoned (do a search on what EMF does to crustaceans).

It’s hardly misinformation to question whether ‘eastern lows’ have even been considered.

Locals know well about destroyed fish farms; 81 shipping containers lost off the YM Efficiency in 2018; and the unstoppable force that drove the Pasha Bulker ashore.

One blade, that’s all, one blade failure could potentially shut down beaches from The Entrance to Seal Rocks.

It’s not misinformation to wonder why the corporations are responsible for their own environmental studies and one person (Tanya Plibersek) is responsible for approval?

We are not the vocal few.

We are the voice of many.

Regards,
Ben ABBOTT,
Nelson bay.