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State-owned power provider Synergy has lodged a formal development application for a proposed wind farm in Western Australia's South West, marking a significant milestone for the renewable energy project. The proposed 20-turbine development at Scott River, 300km south of Perth, has had strident pushback from some in the local farming community. The project has also been referred to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), which recently closed public consultation with 384 submissions received. It will decide whether the project requires a formal assessment. Electricity from the proposed wind farm would feed into the Beenup substation, powering nearby homes and businesses before being distributed to the wider state electricity grid. Local community 'divide' Half of the residents surveyed as part of Synergy's submission to the EPA were "extremely supportive" of the proposed wind farm, while a third of the remaining respondents were strongly opposed to it. "The proposed wind farm at Scott River does have the potential to drive some division in attitudes with the local community," Synergy's societal values assessment report noted. Emma Pinnick is a member of the No Wind Turbines - Scott River group, and said the decision by some local farmers to host turbines on their land had raised tensions in the community. "I'm friends with some of those farmers that actually put their hand up for the turbines," she said. Ms Pinnick said she was concerned the turbines would impact the town's ability to attract new residents and tourists. "They're coming here for the natural beauty of the bushland and the bird life on the river," she said. "Especially in areas where you have the views, realtors have to disclose [the potential turbines] so when there's been potential buyers, that's been a concern." Augusta-Margaret River Clean Community Energy Group (AMRCCE) carried out the initial feasibility studies until Synergy took the reins of the project in 2023. AMRCCE chair Jessica Worrall said Synergy's plans had mitigated a lot of environmental impacts. "They've looked at what clearing they're doing in that space and the potential impact on threatened environmental species and confirmed that they're doing less than 1 hectare of clearing," she said. "They've done very thorough studies on bird and bat surveys and they've confirmed there's no black cockatoo nesting sites within that space." Ms Worrall said attitudes towards the visual pollution caused by turbines were subjective. "Either you look at them and say, 'That's our contribution to being part of the solution for the climate crisis' or you look at them and see a change that you don't like," she said. Acidic soil concerns In 1999, BHP prematurely closed its Beenup titanium mine in Scott River due to environmental issues regarding the exposure of acid sulphate soils. When disturbed or exposed to air, acid sulphate soils can release sulphuric acid and other heavy metals into surrounding water bodies and groundwater. Synergy's EPA submission included plans to neutralise the exposed acidic soil with lime treatment during construction to avoid contamination. The management plan has not allayed the concerns of some nearby farmers. Gary Buller's farming property borders the proposed site, and he said he had turned down hundreds of thousands of dollars to host the turbines. He said he did so because the risks of exposing acidic soil through drilling were too great. "We've declined to be involved because we see the threat to the environment," he said. "If they rupture the aquifer underneath they're going to have acid sulphate soil mixing with a massive volume of water they won't be able to stop. "All of that is going to make its way into the river and they won't be able to stop it." Synergy declined to comment.
