Confirmed Minutes: Tuesday 30th April
TasWind Community Committee
Present: Duncan McFie, Guy Barnes, David Bowling, Karen Taplin, Rosemary Hallet, Mark
Goode, Andrea Bowden, Brett Thorn, Greg Barratt, Peter Bowling, Michael Crow, David
Kerr, John Brewster, Debbi Delaney
Apologies: Ryan Haley, Peter Youd, Andrew Morris, Troy Smith
1. Correspondence
a. Letter to Sarah Laurie re: public meeting from David I Kerr, Peter Youd, Rosemary
Hallet and Andrea Bowden.
This correspondence was discussed; conversation points included, but were not limited to the
following:
 The TWCC was not consulted about the correspondence.
 The correspondence was not the view point of the entire committee.
 The TWCC should publicly maintain a neutral stance.
 Should act as a committee, despite individual viewpoints.
 Correspondence was not intended by the writers to act on behalf of committee.
 Would be best if the committee was united.
Moved:
Peter Bowling
Michael Crow
That the Committee send a letter to Sarah Laurie that the tabled
correspondence is a minority view of this Committee; not the whole
Committee.
For: John Brewster, Guy Barnes, David Bowling, Peter Bowling, Michael
Crow
Against: Duncan McFie, Karen Taplin, Rosemary Hallet, Mark Goode,
Andrea Bowden, Brett Thorn, Greg Barratt, David Kerr.
The motion was put and lost.
Future Communications:
The issue of approaches to individual TWCC members from the media was raised. General
protocols were discussed:
 If giving an interview, that should state up front that it is your personal opinion and
not the opinion of TWCC
 That the TWCC work to the protocols of the Terms of Reference.
 That Committee communication is undertaken through the Chair, including media
communications.
b. ABC Hobart News Grab 11th April 2013
The importance of the committee presenting a neutral viewpoint and to communicate TWCC
activities rather than a viewpoint on the TasWind Proposal was discussed.
c. Letter from the No TasWind Farm Group, re update on the No TasWind position on the
community vote / survey. Attached was a letter from Ocean Dunes golf development re;
possible impacts of wind turbines on Ocean Dunes.
The correspondence from the No TasWind Farm Group and the associated attachments was
received and noted.
TWCC Unconfirmed Minutes: 30th April 2013
Moved:
Duncan McFie
Peter Bowling
That the correspondence be received and noted.
CARRIED unanimously
2. Minutes
Moved:
Rosemary Hallet
Guy Barnes
That the minutes of the 11th April 2013 be accepted.
CARRIED unanimously
Moved:
Karen Taplin
Mark Goode
That the minutes of the 17th April 2013 be accepted.
CARRIED unanimously
Tony Field and Pat Burke of Hydro Tasmania joined the meeting.
3. Survey / Vote
The importance of TWCC taking a leading role in the design of the survey was discussed.
The following details regarding the survey were discussed and noted:
 The survey will include King Island Council ratepayers and residents on the electoral
roll (GM’s role).
 The count will be undertaken by an independent firm, who will liaise with the
electoral commission to tick off and validate names
 The results will be provided to Hydro Tasmania, TWCC and the King Island
community.
 The survey will be centred on going to feasibility or not and will possibly be a 4
prong survey.
 Hydro Tasmania will present draft survey questions to TWCC for feedback prior to
the survey being posted out.
 The survey is proposed to be posted out on the 7th June 2013.
4. Report from the Community Presentation
A report from the facilitators and Gwenda Allgood were tabled.
Moved:
Andrea Bowden
Duncan McFie
That the reports on the community presentation held on the 19th April be
received and noted.
CARRIED unanimously
5. Economic Study Update
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The economic study has been commissioned via King Island Council processes.
A representative from CH2M HILL, Phil Hughes will be on the Island this Thursday
and Friday (2nd & 3rd May) to talk to key industries on the Island and commence
initial scoping for the study.
A new timetable has been completed. The final report is now due on 27th May. It is
also anticipated that the Community Presentation of the economic study can be
completed early in the week of 2th May.
TWCC Unconfirmed Minutes: 30th April 2013
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The economic subcommittee will continue to manage the study to ensure that the
study is completed as per the original scope. Updates will be provided to the wider
committee on progress or any key decisions to be made.
The consultant has been provided with a range of reports, documents and contacts that
relate to the economic study.
6. Next Community Presentation
An update was provided on the organisation of the next community information forum,
including:
 Two potential speakers on ecology – Dr Stephen Ambrose (consultant) and Cindy
Hull (Hydro Tasmania Avian Ecologist).
 Discussions have been held with CSIRO regarding potential speakers, with regard to
the CSIRO report “Acceptance of rural wind farms in Australia”
 Anticipate that the presentation will be week commencing the 13th May.
 Two possible facilitators/chairs have been considered.
Moved:
Mark Goode
Duncan McFie
That the next community presentation proceeds with Dr Stephen Ambrose and
Cindy Hull as speakers and that the committee continues to pursue the option
of a speaker from CSIRO.
CARRIED unanimously
Moved:
Guy Barnes
Duncan McFie
That
a) Deb documents the questions / feedback at the community presentation,
b) The speakers are requested to provide written documentation of their
presentation,
c) Bill Bray is approached to Chair the meeting, and
d) That the presentation is chaired, as per the previous community
presentation, with stand-up microphones, 1 question per person & locals
get the opportunity to pose questions first.
e) If Bill Bray is unavailable to chair, that Deb & Karen sort out an
alternative.
CARRIED unanimously
7. General Business
Community ‘Roundup’
i.
An update and general discussion was held around preliminary scoping of a community
meeting, early in the first week of June. The broad objective would be to:

‘help people within the King Island Community to develop their own understanding
and decision of the TasWind Proposal’
Preliminary workshop scoping includes:
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Development of a summary document which outlines key issues and concerns within
the King Island community.
Hydro Tasmania presentation and/or documented response to the issues and concerns.
For example outlining survey methodology.
Undertaking a SWOT of the TasWind Proposal at the Community Roundup
TWCC Unconfirmed Minutes: 30th April 2013
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The need to undertake a lot of work and marketing within the community to
encourage attendance and participation. This could include phone calls, flyers,
newspaper etc.
Discussions on format have been held with two potential facilitators.
Moved:
ii.
Duncan McFie
Michael Crow
That the committee starts planning for the ‘Community Roundup’ and engage
Cath Botta to facilitate this.
CARRIED unanimously
Speaker Recommendations from Hydro Tasmania
The following potential additional speakers were presented and discussed:
a) Scott Martin and Deb Curtis
Scott and Deb have owned the local café in Cape Bridgewater for the past three-and-ahalf years – from about a year after the Cape Bridgewater wind farm was built. This is the
first time they have owned a café and they bought it after doing a Great Ocean Road trip
from Adelaide. It is a seven-days-a-week café with increased daily hours during summer.
b) Brian and Jill Wilson
Landholders at Clements Gap Wind Farm, SA. Brian and Jill own 3500 acres. The
property has been in the family since 1872 (they are fifth generation farmers) with an
emphasis on crops and sheep. They have three children and their closest turbine is 1km
from their house.
c) Sarah and Peter Sharp
Landholders at Cape Nelson South, VicSarah and Peter have lived in southwest Victoria
for the past 11 years. Sarah was born locally. They manage 200 hectares with 5000 cattle
on the land. The couple have four children aged 22, 20, 16 and 14.
d) Ben Mumford
Ben lives next door to Clements Gap Wind Farm, SA
The difficulty of fitting extra presenters into the schedule was discussed; along alternative
formats to community meetings in which the KI community can talk to people that live
within communities with wind farms.
Whilst the TWCC did not think any additional presenters could be included in the TWCC
schedule, it was agreed that the TWCC will not be offended if Hydro Tasmania hosted extra
people that live in communities with wind farms.
iii.
Blog Site
Duncan noted that a number of people within the community had expressed a desire for an
alternative form of web communication. The possibility of establishing a blog page has been
discussed with Vanessa Skipworth – Vanessa could establish the blog page and link it to the
web site (as per Facebook). The blog would then need to be moderated.
Action: Duncan, Andrea and Ryan to work with Vanessa to establish a blog page and to
mediate the blog.
8. Next Meeting
A meeting to be scheduled at least 30 minutes prior to the next community presentation.
Action: Deb to provide weekly updates to the committee in the interim and inform
committee members of details for the next ‘formal’ meeting.
TWCC Unconfirmed Minutes: 30th April 2013