FREMANTLE PORTS is refusing to say why it has black-banned wind farms at Rous Head.
WA transport minister Dean Nalder says only that the port’s board has determined “it was not in the best interests” of the port to allow a wind farm at the site.
Attempts to seek an explanation have been brushed aside. Port media wrangler Jeanette Murray says “the information from the minister’s office…is Fremantle Port’s position and we don’t wish to add to that”.
The Fremantle Community Wind Farm group has been trying to meet with Mr Nalder for months to put its case.
WA’s information commissioner Sven Bluemmel slammed the port recently for excessive secrecy regarding its 2013 wind power report. The port released a copy so heavily redacted just 11 of 161 pages were fully visible. One-hundred were completely blacked out.
Fremantle Ports minutes from 2012 suggest concern about 120 fee-paying tenants at Rous Head “and the silent health impacts due to ambient noise of a windfarm, while the adverse effects are not proven, would lead to people complaining”.
Just about every health problem conceivable has been blamed on wind farms, from headaches to ingrown toenails to a drop in sex drive.
The National Health and Medical Research Council has found no evidence of any health impact from wind turbines.
Internationally, studies have shown the rates of illness from “wind turbine syndrome” is identical to the rates of aches and pains and other ills across the community, and increasing levels of illness can be mapped to rates of ageing.
Federal treasurer Joe Hockey hates wind farms, calling them “utterly offensive” and “a blight on the landscape”.
by DAVID BELL
David, From my experience the Port has been very open to the community about not supporting the wind turbines and the reasons. As a community member of the Port Liaison Group and by the way, it represented all of the Fremantle Community Precincts, the Port provided constant updates and information. In fact the Port raised the issue far more than the community. The problem was apart from one or two at North Fremantle, no other Fremantle community group spoke in favour of the project. The Turbine people may be frustrated, but attacking the Port is not a good strategy as you may find the Port is far more trusted, respected and community focused than those pushing the Wind Turbines. Its up to the Turbine people to convince the Port and community of its value and they are doing a pretty poor job of it.