General News
9 July, 2025
Wind farm angst
MORE than 100 people attended a community information session in Tatyoon this week to protest against the proposed Ballyrogan Wind Farm.
The proposed project will see 164 wind turbines erected on properties around Ballyrogan and Tatyoon, raising the ire of some local residents.
A convoy of large trucks and machinery arrived at the information session at the Tatyoon Recreation Reserve on Monday afternoon with a very clear message to the proponents.
It was one of two community drop-in sessions hosted by Squadron Energy offering locals a chance to raise concerns and ask questions about the proposed Ballyrogan Wind Farm.
The project is still in its early planning stages, with up to 164 wind turbines and a battery energy storage system being considered.
The proposed 1.3GW wind project would connect to the electricity grid via a 45-kilometre 220kV overhead transmission line, linking up near Elmhurst.
Squadron Energy’s General Manager of Development, Alastair Smith, emphasised that the project is in its infancy and that community input is essential to shaping its development.
“We’ve been working on this project for a couple of years, trying to establish whether there is something that we are comfortable taking forward and that we’ve got confidence in,” he said.
“We understand that some people are unhappy. We are listening to them.”
Local farmer Anthony Brady said the proposal is opposed by most local residents.
“It was good to see a large group gather to oppose the project, but I can’t say I’m happy about it. I’d be happier if we were coming together as a community to celebrate something else,” he said.
“A lot of people are concerned about what it will do to the community and create division in the community. For different reasons, whether it is noise related or aesthetic, the visual amenity of the place, the interruptions with construction, I suppose a lot of people are also disappointed by the lack of community consultation from Squadron,” he said.
Alistair Smith said that in the lead-up to the public sessions, the project team had already begun engaging with nearby landholders.
“The project team have spent the last two weeks meeting with neighbours to the project on a one-on-one basis. (This) was really our first opportunity to just open the doors to whoever is interested in hearing about the wind farm,” he said.
Mr Smith stressed that Squadron Energy is eager for more than just a “yes or no” from the community, they are looking for specific, detailed feedback.
“There are technical parameters and business drivers that are leading us to bring this project forward, but we are certainly keen to hear and understand the specific issues that the community might be concerned about or supportive about or anything in between. The most important point for us is understanding specific issues.
“We often hear general statements, ‘We support a wind farm, we don’t like a wind farm,’ which is good to know. But for us to know how we shape and design the project, what assessments we do, it’s important to get down into the particulars. So we can design the project to be as least impactful as possible,” he said.
Issues raised during the heated Tatyoon gathering included visual impact, road conditions, biodiversity, bushfire hazards, and noise, all of which the company says it is taking seriously.
“We respect those views. Objectively, this is an excellent site for a wind farm. The wind speed is high and consistent,” Mr Smith added.
Looking ahead, Mr Smith outlined more significant potential benefits for the region if the project proceeds.
“If we are successful with this project and it gets built, the likely scale of community benefit from this project will be in the order of a million dollars. Which is not an insignificant amount of money that can be put into any number of community groups, projects, etcetera,” he said.
Local farmer Andew Farrish said he was concerned the wind farm proposal would irreparably divide the community.
“People are being abused. That’s not on.
“This abuse on people is utter rubbish,” he said.