Regional NSW residents angrily reject wind turbine development and lash renewable energy chiefs in fiery town hall meeting

Sky News AU

21-07-2025

Residents in a regional NSW town have let loose on senior renewable energy executives in a fiery town hall meeting opposing the construction of 90 wind turbines taller than the Sydney Crown tower.
The Bendenine wind farm is a proposed renewable energy project in the Yass region in rural New South Wales and consists of up to 90 mammoth wind turbines in addition to a battery energy storage system.
The project is spearheaded by Melbourne based renewable energy giant Wind Prospect in addition to a raft of other companies, with each of the 90 turbines topping Sydney's towering Crown tower in height.
However, the development which is currently in the initial feasibility and scoping assessment phase hit a road block after fuming locals gathered at the Bowning Town Hall to voice their outrage.
Many of Bowning's 1000 residents gathered to interrogate the company's senior executives, and share their myriad of grievances including noise concerns and environmental worries.
The meetings attendants were primarily composed of local farmers and business owners who were anxious that the massive development could lower the value of their properties.
A local sheep farmer Glen Miller ripped into the company's leadership, and said 'you guys are drip-feeding us. God almighty' according to The Daily Telegraph which attended the local forum.
Mr Miller said his land holdings form the entirety of his livelihood, and that he had been 'paying the Commonwealth Bank for 40 years'.
The farmer said the 260m wind turbines which if approved would border his property would substantially reduce his lands worth, and said he was mortified by the move.
'Everything I've been building – and you guys come along. My plans are shot because of these turbines,' Mr Miller said.
Local Indigenous leaders also spoke out against the proposed development, and were concerned that the project would impact the renowned wedge-tailed eagle which have recently come under threat.
Former economist for the federal Treasury Dr Paul O'Mara, who now resides in the nearby town of Goondah, said the drop in land value could amount to a hefty sum of $100 million, with numerous properties recently selling far below market value.
Wind Prospects managing director Ben Purcell told the community forum concerns about a "30 to 40 per cent reduction" in land value were not necessarily a direct result of the proposed wind project.
Mr Purcell said there were a "lot of figures that influence land values".
The Daily Telegraph reported that Mr Purcell could not provide clear answers to the queries of distressed locals and reiterated the development was needed to 'keep the lights on' throughout NSW amid the arduous energy transition.
In response one local shouted 'do you go home at the end of each day happy that you are destroying the landscape and people's lived'.
But Mr Purcell claimed this was a personal attack on him rather than of the proposal.
The Albanese government's push to roll out renewable energy projects nationwide to meet federal climate targets has sparked resistance and backlash in regional communities.
Residents in regional Queensland have pushed back against a proposal to build 500KW of transmission lines through Borumba which have resulted in far-reaching deforestation efforts while farmers in Victoria's Wimmera region have slammed energy giants for constructing wind farms near their lands.