Precedent: Epuron deal with NSW government for 500 wind turbines for 1,000MW Vic-NSW-border project implies eviction of grazier leaseholders, so State can gain lease revenue

First 18 of 18 paragraphs shown NSW state land lease holders have learned via a Epuron wind farm precendent that they have no rights to lease land fot wind farms. The revenue and negotiating rights lie with the NSW government. That was explained by Tony Kelly, NSW Minister for Lands, NSW to the Legislative Council, 28 February 2008. Macquarie Bank had entered a joint venture to build the wind farm, near Broken Hill.
Already for sale: Epuron builds and sells-on wind farms and had agreed to sell three power generation projects to electricity retailer, Origin Energy. The Cullerin Range wind farm west of Goulburn, Conroy’s Gap and Snowy Plains wind farms in southern NSW will be the three projects Origin Energy will acquire. The proposed Silverton wind farm could also be sold.
State owns wind farm leaseholds: Kelly said the department believes that a direct lease with the State provides the greatest long-term security for the Crown land in question. he said this was public land, owned by the people of New South Wales but leased to farmers for the primary purpose of grazing.
Graziers have no legal right: Under the terms of their current leases, the graziers do not have a legal right to sublease for the purposes of a wind farm.

Telephone poles a different case: Kelly said claims that the erection of a telephone pole on leased land is the same in the long term are incorrect. He said leaseholders cannot provide the wind farm proponents with a secure and legal title for the proposal, ..so..the best solution is a direct lease with the State.
Epuron told no need to talk to graziers: Staff from the Western Lands Commission advised wind farm developer Epuron to negotiate with Western Lands landholders regarding rental payments following the planned installation of wind farm towers on Western Lands lease land.
Intention to resume the land: It was understood a staff member subsequently advised the landholders concerned that the Western Lands Commission intended to resume the land under a leaseback arrangement?
Public Crown land near Silverton: Over the past 12 months, c —Epuron—has been carrying out wind testing and negotiating access rights with four Western Lands leases on public Crown land near Silverton.
No benefits to leaseholders: Early wind tests on the site did not require the approval of the department and that the company sought permission of leaseholders to carry out those wind tests. In October 2007, Epuron—Silverton Wind Farm developments —advised the Department of Lands that tests were favourable and advised their intentions to proceed to development application stage to construct 500 wind turbines on 32,000 hectares of leased public land. Silverton Wind Farm Developments subsequently met with the department in December 2007 to discuss its development plans, tenure arrangements and access to the affected land, said Kelly.
Substation: A new on-site transmission substation is required on site to convert power from on-site reticulation voltage to a transmission voltage of 220kV-50kV suitable to connect into the national electricity grid. It would also include all necessary ancillary equipment such as control cubicles, voltage and current transformers, and circuit breakers for control and protection of the substation.
- for Stage 1, a new high voltage (likely 220kV) powerline approximately 25km long from the proposed wind farm site to Broken Hill;
- for Stages 2 & 3, a new high voltage (likely 220kV) powerline approximately 300km long from the proposed wind farm site via Broken Hill to Buronga and on to Red Cliffs.
Interstate sales: The transmission lines would be located between the wind farm site and Broken Hill substation and between Broken Hill substation and Buronga and Red Cliffs substations. The Silverton Wind Farm would involve the construction and operation of up to 500 wind turbines on ridge crests and plateaus. Each wind turbine will have three blades up to 53 metres long mounted on a tubular steel tower up to 105 metres high. The wind turbines are likely to have a rated output of between 1.75MW and 3MW each. It is currently proposed that the additional transmission lines from Broken Hill, south to Buronga and on to Red Cliffs in Victoria would run parallel to the existing 220kV transmission line. The approximate length of the proposed works is 300 kilometres of which approximately 1.2 kilometres is south of the Murray River in Victoria.
Local meeting: The Planning Focus Meeting for this proposal was held on 14 and 15 November, 2007. Representatives from the Department of Planning, Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), Department of Primary Industries (Minerals), Department of Primary Industries (Agriculture), Department of Lands, Western Catchment Management Authority (CMA), Lower Murray Darling CMA, Country Energy, Transgrid, Broken Hill Shire Council, Department of State and Regional Development and the Roads and Traffic Authority were invited to attend. The Department of Defence and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority were unable to attend but requested that they be kept informed.
New substation: A new on-site transmission substation is required on site to convert power from on-site reticulation voltage to a transmission voltage of 220kV-50kV suitable to connect into the national electricity grid. It would also include all necessary ancillary equipment such as control cubicles, voltage and current transformers, and circuit breakers for control and protection of the substation.

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