birding-aus

White-throated Needletail collides with Scottish wind turbine

To: Dave Torr <>, Stephen Ambrose <>
Subject: White-throated Needletail collides with Scottish wind turbine
From: Alex Randell <>
Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2013 05:11:04 +0000
I feel privileged to be connected with the Birding-Aus forum and respect that, 
from time to time, there are differences in points of view on a number of 
issues.  I once assumed that a poorly sited wind energy development which had 
the potential to do more environmental harm than good would not get through the 
planning assessment process and, as a committed Biodiversity Conservation and 
Animal Behaviour Science Degree student and landscape restoration practitioner 
concerned about climate change, subscribed to the idea that wind energy was 
intrinsically "good". But my personal experience in an area I know well has 
changed my view and I'm concerned that quickly dismissing opposition to such 
developments as a failure to understand the magnitude of climate change threats 
to biodiversity, while it may be true in some cases, could be dangerously wrong 
in others. 
Perhaps pigeonholing opposition to wind energy developments as stemming from 
emotionally charged or coal industry backed ignorance or from an anti-green 
"cause" explains why a great cost-effective conservation opportunity may be 
lost and a highly environmentally costly choice may be made regarding Pacific 
Hydro's proposed "Keyneton" wind energy development in South Australia: I 
cannot see how the high environmental costs of this development could be offset 
realistically by its benefits: I think there is evidence to show that it 
represents a significant threat to the viability of the most important 
peppermint box (Eucalyptus odorata) grassy woodland and redgum habitat for 
hollow-dependent fauna and at least half the threatened woodland bird species 
of Adelaide and the Mount Lofty Ranges, not "just" a direct threat (turbine 
strike and barotrauma) to Peregrine falcons and other raptors and at least 12 
species of microbats. The development would certainly fragment and degrade an 
 extremely rare ecotone-rich connection for wildlife between the higher 
rainfall areas of Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges and the low rainfall Murray Plains 
to the Murray River through land which is (and in the absence of this 
development would likely remain) protected from fragmentation and the other 
major threats associated with agriculture, building and road development. 
Earthworks would involve construction of 42 three metre deep concrete 
foundation pads (each the size of a 2 acre block) with a crane pad, fencing, 
trenching and other infrastructure alongside it, over 40 kms of underground 
trenching, over 40 kms of 10m wide roads over the Somme Creek on it's western 
boundary and between springs at each end and the middle of the site, and the 
headwaters of all the main ephemeral creeks that feed the Sedan wetlands 
(ironically recently Biodiversity Fund funded) lined up along the eastern 
boundary, and the Marne River. The Marne is the last red-gum (hollow rich) 
lined connection between the high rainfall ranges through the Mallee plains and 
Murray River. It will fragment feeding and breeding habitats and introduce 
weeds, erosion, polutants and siltation. The development will separate the 
largest remnants of hollow-rich peppermint box grassy woodland and the best of 
the last temperate native grasslands (including two EPBC listed Critically 
Endang
 ered ecological communities) in the whole of the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges. I 
applaud the Labour government's action on climate change but because of 
fast-tracking with South Australia's Statewide Windfarm policy DEWNR was not 
asked to comment on state-listed threatened species recorded in the area. Not 
enough was known about the fauna at the time the Peppermint box grassy woodland 
and Lomandra effusa natural temperate grassland ecological communities were 
listed under the EPBC Act so only the vegetation was allowed to be considered 
in the EPBC referral process - not the fauna it supports (and supports it). The 
area falls in what seems to have been treated as an administrative and 
political "no-man's land" at the border of NRM boundaries and Councils and in 
safe Liberal electorates. I was not impressed by the weakness of the 
proponent's opportunistic, ridge-based, unfocused fauna (and flora) survey 
effort. 
Company executives have openly stated that "wildlife leaves the area" - the 
question "why?" (and where is it supposed to go) has not been answered. 

Regards,

Alex

Alex Randell, Nuriootpa SA.
________________________________________
From:  
 on behalf of Dave Torr 

Sent: Monday, July 01, 2013 1:29 AM
To: Stephen Ambrose
Cc: 
Subject: White-throated Needletail collides with Scottish wind turbine

Yes, wind turbines do kill birds but nowhere near as many as other human
structures and activities. Obviously they need careful placement to avoid
bird "highways" but on balance I believe they are good things

On 1 July 2013 10:55, Stephen Ambrose <> wrote:

> Here is another perspective of the same incident, by Harry Huyton, the
> RSPB's Head of Climate Change Policy:
>
>
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2013/jun/28/white-throated-needle
> tail-wind-turbines
>
> Regards,
> Stephen
>
> Stephen Ambrose
> Ryde NSW
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: 
>  On Behalf Of Andrew
> Taylor
> Sent: Monday, 1 July 2013 10:15 AM
> To: 
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] White-throated Needletail collides with Scottish
> wind
> turbine
>
> http://devilbirder.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/twitching-tragedy.html
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